Harnessing Wind for Cleaner Air & More Jobs

Offshore Wind is the New Steel — Bringing Jobs, Lower Electric Bills, and a Sustainable Economy

 

The Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resource Act, or POWER Act (SB 781/HB793) will set the stage for 8.5 gigawatts of offshore wind in Maryland — enough to power every home in our state. The POWER Act will bring good union jobs to Maryland, lower energy costs, and reduce pollution.

For context, Maryland currently has about 4.8 gigawatts of gas power. The POWER Act helps Maryland build enough offshore wind energy to replace all our remaining fossil fuel generation and then some.

The POWER Act:

  1. Sets a goal of 8.5 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2031

  2. Builds the needed transmission to connect to the grid

  3. Directs the Department of General Services to directly purchase 1 gigawatt of offshore wind

  4. Strengthens labor standards for building offshore wind

Marylanders will see the added benefit of lowering our electric bills between $4.1 billion and $28.5 billion over the next 30 years.

Companies are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to bring steel manufacturing for wind turbines back to Baltimore. Not only will this bring good, family-supporting jobs back to Maryland, but it will also lower our utility bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

We also have an opportunity to work with the White House and leverage federal dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Biden Administration has set a goal of 30 additional gigawatts of domestic offshore wind by 2030. This would power 10 million homes, support 77,000 jobs, and spur economic development up and down the supply chain. And with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which extends the investment tax credit for renewable energy projects, the timing to expand offshore wind in Maryland couldn’t be better!

Download our fact sheet about the POWER Act to learn more.