Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Acting Director Walter Cruickshank have announced that nearly 80,000 acres offshore Maryland will be offered for commercial wind energy development in an August 19, 2014 competitive lease sale.
Sixteen companies have qualified to participate in the auction for the Maryland Wind Energy Area. According to analysis prepared by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, if fully developed, the Maryland Wind Energy Area could support between 850 and 1450MW of commercial wind generation. The Maryland Wind Energy Area will be auctioned as two leases, referred to as the North Lease Area (32,737 acres) and the South Lease Area (46,970 acres). The Wind Energy Area is located about 10 nautical miles off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland.