Orsted has submitted a bid to the Maryland Public Service Commission to develop Skipjack Wind 2, a proposed project of up to 760MW.
The bid is in response to the Commission’s call for proposals for Round 2 offshore wind projects, through which the Commission can award at least 1200MW of Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credits.
The new project will power over 250,000 Delmarva homes, Orsted said.
The Danish developer’s proposal is designed to support the successful development of Skipjack Wind 2 while also committing to significant manufacturing operations that will enable the State to establish itself as a player in the offshore wind supply chain.
In addition, Orsted is committed to environmental justice initiatives that will help ensure that the state’s overburdened and underserved communities have equal access to the incredible opportunities presented by the offshore wind industry.
In partnership with local school districts, communities, and universities, the project will provide significant resources to support the development of innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programming as well as comprehensive workforce training initiatives.
Building on Orsted’s agreement with the North American Building Trades Union (NABTU), and the Baltimore – D.C. Metro Building and Construction Trades Council, the project has committed to bringing organised labour into both the onshore and offshore construction industries.
Orsted has also pledged to significantly expand the availability of grant funding for local eNGOs in Maryland and Delaware.
Through its mission to lead industry-wide sustainability efforts, the project will support the critical efforts of those organisations to protect, preserve, and restore the region’s world-class coastal habitat and environment.
Orsted Offshore North America chief executive David Hardy said: “Orsted is privileged to already be a long-term partner to the state of Maryland as it works to meet its offshore wind goals.
“We are proud to build, own, and operate wind farms across the world and will bring that same approach to Maryland.
“As such, these at least 30-year commitments we are making to the state are designed to provide long-term benefits to all of the communities that will be home to our facilities.
“In continuing to deliver on our commitments now, and well into the future, we will ensure that Maryland’s offshore wind industry will thrive for decades to come.”
Orsted is currently developing Skipjack Wind 1, a 120MW project off the Maryland-Delaware coast that is scheduled to be operational by the second quarter of 2026.
The project was awarded during Maryland’s first offshore wind solicitation, commonly referred to as Round 1, in May of 2017.
Skipjack Wind 1 is expected to create approximately 1400 Maryland jobs, spur at least US$200m (€170m) in Maryland economic investment, and generate enough clean energy to power 40,000 homes in the region.
Orsted will be hosting a virtual open house on July 19 to answer questions from the public about the new expanded project.
It operates 28 offshore wind farms globally including America’s first offshore wind farm, the Block Island Wind Farm.
Skipjack Wind 2 could help Maryland achieve renewable energy targets established by the Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2019, which states that 50% of Maryland’s energy must come from renewable energy sources by 2030.