Maryland May See Nation's First Offshore Wind Farm

A stripped-down wind-energy proposal backed by Maryland’s governor gains traction in the legislature.

The proposal may be the first step in creating a network of offshore turbines and sub-sea cables spanning the U.S. Atlantic coast, reports Bloomberg.

Maryland’s Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley introduced a bill last month that requires utilities to buy power from offshore wind farms by 2017. Backers feel confident it will pass after two previous efforts were defeated.

The project would power the equivalent of 61,600 of Maryland’s 2.1 million households. However, clean-energy advocates say it could signal the emergence of an industry that has so far been unable to erect a single tower in U.S. waters, giving the project impact beyond its megawatts.

Source: Bloomgerg