For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 14, 2010
ROCKVILLE, Md., December 14, 2010—The Montgomery County Council today unanimously approved a resolution that encourages the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation in 2011 requiring the state’s Public Service Commission to direct public utilities to enter into long-term contracts for offshore wind power. Councilmember George Leventhal is the chief sponsor of the resolution.
In November, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland Energy Administration joined the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) in taking significant steps toward bringing offshore wind power generation to Maryland’s coast. The federal government, which controls the Outer Continental shelf, has accepted the planning recommendations of the Maryland Offshore Wind Task Force and has issued a Request for Interest (RFI) and a map of an offshore wind leasing area in federal waters adjacent to Maryland’s Atlantic Coast.
Governor O’Malley has made offshore wind a priority in Maryland’s efforts to generate 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2022.
“This is the future,” said Councilmember Leventhal. “These turbines could eventually supply one-third of the electric needed by Mid-Atlantic states with zero emissions. I hope the support the Montgomery Council demonstrated today helps inspire private industry to pursue establishment of offshore wind power as a significant part of our nation’s long-term plan to provide energy through clean and renewable sources.”
Montgomery County has pioneered the purchase of wind power for local government use. The County currently procures 25 percent of its total electricity load from wind power. The County's wind power buying consortium is the fifth largest local government purchaser of clean energy in the United States.
The resolution approved by the Council “further encourages energy producers to respond to the Request for Interest expressing interest in obtaining a commercial lease for an offshore wind energy project by Jan. 10, 2011.”
The resolution also asks the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation in 2011 that requires the Public Service Commission to direct public utilities to enter into long-term contracts for offshore wind power. The resolution also states that such legislation should “set up a process for utilities to offer requests for offshore wind power proposals and to negotiate contracts for offshore wind electric generation, and should further direct the Public Service Commission to consider long-term price stability, environmental and public health benefits, and other factors when determining whether to approve long-term contracts.”
The western edge of the RFI area for proposed wind generation is located 10 nautical miles from the Ocean City coast. The eastern edge of the RFI area is approximately 27 nautical miles from the Ocean City coast.
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Release ID: 10-228
Media Contact: Neil Greenberger 240-777-7939, Patty Vitale 240-777-7972