Legal Battle Intensifies Over Proposed Offshore Wind Farm Off Ocean City, Maryland
Key Insights
Ocean City leaders, businesses, and residents have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the approvals for US Wind's offshore wind farm, alleging violations of environmental and administrative laws.
A federal judge partially dismissed US Wind's motion to dismiss the case, allowing key aspects of the legal challenge against the project to move forward.
The proposed project, featuring up to 114 turbines located 10 nautical miles offshore, continues to face strong local opposition despite state permit approvals and potential job creation.
The dispute highlights the ongoing tension between Maryland's renewable energy ambitions and the concerns of coastal communities regarding environmental impact and economic disruption.
A coalition of Ocean City leaders, local businesses, and residents has escalated their opposition to the proposed US Wind offshore wind farm, filing a complaint in federal court to reverse key federal agency approvals. The plaintiffs, numbering nearly three dozen, contend that the final actions taken by federal agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and breached several federal environmental statutes, suggesting a failure to adhere to proper legal and procedural protocols.
The legal challenge targets a project designed to include up to 114 wind turbine generators, four offshore substations, a meteorological tower, and associated export cables. These structures would be situated approximately 10 nautical miles off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. While a judge recently rejected US Wind's motion to dismiss the entire case, certain aspects of the lawsuit were dismissed, allowing other critical components of the complaint to proceed, signaling a continued judicial review of the project's approvals.
This development follows a period of intense local debate and political maneuvering. In May, a delegation from Ocean City traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate for a moratorium on offshore wind farm construction. Despite these efforts and strong local opposition, the Maryland Department of the Environment signed off on the necessary permits in June, enabling the project to advance.
Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan voiced the community's frustration in a statement following the state's approval, asserting, “Our city, our county, and our residents do not want this project to move forward, yet the state seems resolute on forcing it upon us. We will continue fighting this project forcefully in court and with those policymakers who have the power to stop it.” Mayor Meehan criticized the project as a “cash cow for US Wind,” urging the state to prioritize “more realistic forms of alternative energy” to avoid a “wind turbine graveyard” and a “multi-generational nightmare of repairing our environment and economy.”
Conversely, proponents of the offshore wind industry highlight its significant economic benefits, including the potential to create 13,000 jobs in Maryland. The state's commitment to renewable energy targets underpins its support for such large-scale projects. This ongoing legal and political dispute underscores the complex balance between achieving clean energy goals, fostering economic development, and addressing local environmental and aesthetic concerns.