Maryland Offshore Wind

orep_2023_2011_us_wind
Maryland Offshore Wind Commercial Lease Map

What's New?

On September 29, 2023, BOEM announced the availability of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Maryland Offshore Wind project. The Notice of Availability and draft EIS can be accessed using the links below. 

The Notice of Availability for the Maryland Offshore Wind draft EIS published in the Federal Register on October 6, 2023, opening a 45-day public comment period that ended on November 20, 2023. The input received via this process informs preparation of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 

Public Meetings Schedule

During the comment period, BOEM hosted two in-person and two virtual public meetings. The public meetings were held on the following dates and times. All times are Eastern: 

In-person public meetings:

  • Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
    Ocean City Elementary School, 12828 Center Drive, Ocean City, MD 21842
  • Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.
    Indian River High School, 29772 Armory Road, Dagsboro, DE 19939

Virtual public meetings:

  • Thursday, October 19, 2023, 1:00 p.m.
  • Monday, October 30, 2023, 5:00 p.m.

More information on how to comment, watch the recordings, or view the report on comments received during scoping, please visit the Virtual Meeting Room.

Please see the Environmental Review tab for more information and to view the documents.

Background 

On August 19, 2014, BOEM held a competitive lease sale offshore Maryland. US Wind Inc. was identified as the winner of Lease Area OCS-A 0490 (46,970 acres) located 10 nautical miles offshore Ocean City, Maryland in federal waters. Maryland Offshore Wind is in the environmental review phase within BOEM’s authorization process. This project is covered under FAST-41 and permitting progress can be found on the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) dashboard.

For more information on this lease area, including Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meetings and lease history please visit the Planning and Lease Sale page. For more information on public meetings, please visit the Environmental Review tab. For up-to-date leasing information, including the original lease and any lease amendments that may have occurred since the initial lease execution, visit the Lease and Grants page.

Related Announcements  

Site Assessment Plan

On March 22, 2018, BOEM approved the Site Assessment Plan (SAP) for Lease OCS-A 0490 submitted by US Wind, Inc. The SAP approval allows for the installation of and data collection from a meteorological tower, a seabed mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) sensor and a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) sensor. For additional information, please find the approved SAP below:    

On October 22, 2020, US Wind, Inc. submitted a second SAP to BOEM for meteorological evaluations and site assessment. The plan details the methods and procedures U.S. Wind, Inc. will use to collect and analyze meteorological and oceanographic data and information on the conditions of the marine environment within its commercial lease. On May 5, 2021, BOEM approved the SAP for Lease OCS-A 0490, allowing for the installation of a meteorological buoy. For additional information, please find the approved SAP below:

US Wind Inc. submitted its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) on August 11, 2020. Updated COP versions were submitted on November 23, 2021; March 3, 2022; May 27, 2022; November 30, 2022; and July 28, 2023. BOEM will review the COP and approve, disapprove, or approve with modifications the proposed activities.
 
US Wind Inc. intends to develop, build, operate, and own an up to 2,200 MW commercial offshore wind energy facility, also known as the Maryland Offshore Wind project. The project is located within federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), specifically in BOEM Renewable Energy Lease Area OCS-A 0490, approximately 10 nautical miles offshore Ocean City, Maryland, and approximately 9 nautical miles offshore Sussex County, Delaware.

The project includes MarWin, a wind farm of approximately 300 MW for which US Wind was awarded offshore wind renewable energy credits (ORECs) in 2017 by the State of Maryland; Momentum Wind, consisting of approximately 808 MW for which the State of Maryland awarded additional ORECs in 2021; and build out of the remainder of the Lease Area to fulfill ongoing, government-sponsored demands for offshore wind energy.

Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (NOI EIS)

On June 8, 2022, BOEM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Maryland Offshore Wind Project offshore Maryland and Delaware.  

The Notice of Intent initiated a 30-day public comment period that ended on July 8, 2022.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS)

On September 29, 2023, BOEM announced the availability of the draft EIS for the proposed Maryland Offshore Wind project. The Notice of Availability and draft EIS can be accessed using the links below.  

The NOA, available on October 6, 2023, initiated a 45-day public comment period that ended at 11:59 p.m. ET on November 20, 2023. During the public comment period, BOEM hosted two virtual and two in-person public meetings during which one could learn more about the project, ask questions, and provide oral testimony. 

KOP Simulation Figure
Map Figure 1- KOPs and KOPs with simulations

Visual Impact Assessment

The visual impact assessment includes photo simulations of the proposed Maryland Offshore Wind Project from numerous Key Observation Points (KOPs) and provides a detailed analysis of the potential visibility of the proposed Project and differences in landscape visual quality with and without the Project in place. A video simulation was also produced viewing from KOP 6: 84th Street Beach.

In addition, photo-simulations were produced for Alternative D – No Surface Occupancy to Reduce Visual Impacts Alternative.

The DEIS Appendix H – Seascape, Landscape, and Visual Impact Assessment with the photo simulations may be downloaded here, or from the following links for the photo-simulations only.

Photo simulations of the proposed Maryland Wind Offshore Wind Project from all KOPs (see Map Figure 1-KOPs and KOPs with simulations) may be viewed or downloaded in the following:

*As part of the COP review, a time-lapse video was produced that depicts daytime and nighttime conditions under a variety of lighting conditions (including nighttime), cloud cover, and weather scenarios.  As discussed in Appendix II-J (Visual Impact Assessment) of the COP, based on past flight data and the use of Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS), the aviation obstruction lights associated with the project would only be activated for a total of approximately 5 hours and 46 minutes over a one-year period, or 1% of the time.  The simulation is at the proper perspective when viewed at a distance of approximately twice the image height. 

Cumulative Historic Resources Visual Effects Analysis (CHRVEA) 

The BOEM Cumulative Historic Resources Visual Effects Analysis (CHRVEA) provides an assessment of the Project’s contribution to cumulative visual effects on historic properties when combined with other reasonably foreseeable offshore wind energy development activities in the area. 

The CHRVEA can be accessed here: