Winds

Another blustery day is expected in the Baltimore area Friday with winds of 20-40 mph before calm and mild weather sets in for the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Mostly cloudy skies and highs near 50 degrees are in the forecast. Winds are expected from the northwest shifting to northerly in the evening. Sustained winds could be consistently 20-25 mph, with gusts reach 35-40 mph. Winds were expected to calm by early Saturday, with clear and sunny skies expected throughout the day. Highs were forecast to reach the lower 50s, starting a warming trend.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to encourage development of a wind energy farm off the coast of Ocean City cleared a major hurdle Friday as the Maryland Senate passed the bill 30-17. The proposal, designed to spark an offshore wind industry by subsidizing its developer, now goes to the Maryland House of Delegates. The House has passed a similar bill but needs to consider minor changes made in a Senate committee. If the project is built, most utility customers would be charged an extra $1.50 per month to pay for the electricity it generates.

Last week, food safety officials in United Kingdom, France and Sweden found traces of horse meat in ground beef sold across Europe. Massive recalls and lawsuits are ensuing. Can it happen here? Horse slaughter for human consumption was banned in the U.S. between 2007 and 2011. But now a New Mexico slaughterhouse is getting approved by U.S. authorities to slaughter horses for human consumption, and a Philadelphia restaurant has already announced plans to serve horse meat. I marvel at our hypocrisy of rejecting the notion of horse or dog meat on our dinner plates, while condemning cows, pigs and chickens to the same fate.

Strong winds that blew in with Wednesday's storm were expected to continue through Thursday, with highs in the mid-40s, according to the National Weather Service. Breezes of 15-20 mph were forecast, with gusts up to 30 mph. While temperatures were expected to rise from morning lows in the upper 30s to highs around 45 degrees, the wind chill could make it feel between the mid-20s and the lower 30s throughout the day. Mostly cloudy skies were expected, with a slim chance of snow showers Thursday night.

Editor: I know this story may be hard to believe, but the Governor wants to construct 40 wind turbines that are 80 stories high (think: Baltimore's tallest building) and 20 miles out in the ocean. This has never been done before. The cost of this green pork scheme is currently calculated to be $2 billion. I believe that estimate is very shallow compared to the eventual real costs. Of course, the usual ATM machines, meaning the people of Maryland, will be mandated to pay for these monstrosities through another new surcharge. The surcharge will be about $2 per month for consumers and unlimited for the business community. I will purchase a free crab cake for every rate payer in the state, if this project costs $2 billion or less.

As one of Maryland's manufacturing companies, we enthusiastically support The Sun's position on the offshore wind legislation now before the state Senate ("Wind picks up steam," Feb. 25). The Sun's position provides a realistic description of the balance between commercial investment uncertainties and the very large potential to create jobs, new manufacturing and renewable sources of energy. The state's role in offshore wind energy is as a catalyst for commercial investment. There is no assurance that such investment will occur in Maryland, but without the state's forward-looking strategy, the manufacturing jobs associated with offshore wind are likely to be captured by other states.

Windy conditions with temperatures in the 40s and a chance for a passing shower are in the forecast for the Baltimore area Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Morning lows were expected in the mid-30s, but with a wind chill in the upper 20s. Highs were expected to reach the upper 40s. A 10-20 mph breeze was expected throughout the day. Clouds were expected to move in throughout the day, bringing a chance of showers in the afternoon, particularly in northern parts of Maryland.

On its third try in three years, Gov. Martin O'Malley's bill to spur development of an offshore wind farm off the coast of Ocean City won the approval of a key committee Tuesday night, setting the stage for what is expected to be easy passage on the Senate floor. The Senate Finance Committee, which spurned the bill the past two years, voted 7-4 for this year's version of one of O'Malley's  top environmental priorities. The governor was helped by a change in the composition of the committee, which previously has six members who were committed to voting it down.

Would you pay a little bit more on your monthly utility bill to help build a wind farm generating as much as 200 megawatts of electricity 12 miles or more off the coast of Maryland? That's really all Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed offshore wind bill comes down to - and yet for the past two years the General Assembly has said no. But this year, the proposal seems to have the wind at its back, having passed the House of Delegates today and facing friendlier prospects in the Senate than in years past - thanks in no small part to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller's willingness to reshuffle membership in the Finance Committee to bypass an entrenched opponent.

Over the objections of Republican lawmakers, the House of Delegates on Friday approved Gov. Martin O'Malley's bill to create incentives for development of a wind energy project off the coast of Ocean City . The measure, a top item on O'Malley's legislative agenda, was approved 85-48. Its passage was not a surprise because a similar bill passed the House last year only to die in a Senate committee. This year, the bill's prospects appear much better in the upper chamber. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has predicted it will pass.