The Maryland governor is allowing a law to pass that provides for an additional 1200MW of offshore wind off the US state, despite calling the bill “deeply flawed”.
Governor Larry Hogan said in a letter Mike Miller, president of the Maryland Senate, that he would allow the Clean Energy Jobs Act to become law, but without his signature.
Hogan said the bill is “not clean enough, nor smart enough, nor does it create the intended jobs within Maryland”.
He added that Senate Bill 516 is a “deeply flawed proposal in need of significant improvements”.
However, despite the criticism, Hogan said he was allowing the bill to become law without his signature in the hope of “opening the door for a productive conversation to truly advance clean and renewable energy” in the state.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act calls for more offshore wind capacity starting with 400MW in 2026, increasing to at least 800MW in 2028 and at least 1.2GW by 2030.
Currently developer US Wind is planning a 268MW project off the state, having secured a lease for about 1GW through a competitive bid process.
Orsted’s 120MW Skipjack project under development of the coast of Delaware will supply power to Maryland.