US Department of the Interior to Reevaluate Approval for 2 GW Maryland Offshore Wind Project

Strategic Insights -

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced plans to reevaluate its approval of the 2 GW Maryland Offshore Wind Project, granted to US Wind in December 2024. As part of this process, the DOI intends to move to vacate its approval of the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the project in a separate case in Maryland, where it is also being sued by the Mayor and City Council of Ocean City. The DOI's decision comes as part of a broader review of offshore wind projects, following the Presidential Memorandum issued on 20 January 2025 and the Interior Secretary's Order (SO) 3437 from 29 July, which aimed to end preferential treatment for unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources in Department decision-making.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US Department of the Interior (DOI) plans to reevaluate its approval of the 2 GW Maryland Offshore Wind Project, granted to US Wind in December 2024.
  • The DOI intends to move to vacate its approval of the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the project in a separate case in Maryland.
  • The DOI's decision comes as part of a broader review of offshore wind projects, following the Presidential Memorandum issued on 20 January 2025 and the Interior Secretary's Order (SO) 3437 from 29 July.
  • US Wind acquired an 80,000-acre federal lease area off the coast of Maryland in 2014.
  • The Maryland Offshore Wind Project consists of three planned phases, with two phases already having offshore renewable energy certificates (ORECs) from the State of Maryland.
  • The DOI's decision to reevaluate its approval of the COP will likely result in significant changes that will impact the positions and arguments of the parties involved.

Statistics:

  • 2 GW planned capacity for the Maryland Offshore Wind Project.
  • 80,000 acres of federal lease area acquired by US Wind off the coast of Maryland in 2014.
  • 3 planned phases for the Maryland Offshore Wind Project.
  • 2 phases, MarWin and Momentum Wind, already have offshore renewable energy certificates (ORECs) from the State of Maryland.

Sources:

  • [Global Data Point, 2022]
  • [US Department of the Interior, 2022]
  • [Presidential Memorandum, 20 January 2025]
  • [Interior Secretary's Order (SO) 3437, 29 July]
  • [BOEM, August 22, 2022]