WEST OCEAN CITY, Md.—U.S. offshore windmoved a step closer to reality when the Biden administration gave a favorable review earlier this month to the Vineyard Wind Farm project, which is slated to be America's first large-scale offshore wind farm.
As offshore wind development progresses, including Maryland's two projects,the industry faces a “strained” relationship with coastal communities.
Maryland’s coastal communities have concerns about offshore windbut say they’re being ignored by the industry and government. Industry observers say federal regulations are partly to blame because they prioritize projects getting approved and offer few opportunities for public input.
Commercial fishermen feel "steamrolled" by the process right now, according to Sonny Gwin, a commercial fisherman based out of Ocean City.
Many fishermen don’t trust that offshore wind companies will take meaningful action on their concerns, Gwin said. Fishermen still show up thoughbecause if they don't, they fear the wind companies will "run right over us."
“To us it looks like wind companies are just throwing turbines up with no consideration at all of what they're going to do to the environment,” Gwin said. “To them it doesn't matter. What matters is the bottom line because somebody's going to make a lot of money off this.”
Both Orsted and U.S. Wind have said they're committed to engaging with coastal communities and will continue to do so as their projects near completion,according to statements and interviews with both companies.
Orsted, a Danish developer, is in the process of building the Skipjack Wind Farm, which will be approximately 19miles off the coast of Ocean City and Delaware.
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U.S. Wind,a subsidiary of an Italian company, is planning to build the MarWin Wind Farm off the coast of Ocean City. The company's website statesthe project is slated to be 17 miles from shore, but that detail has become a source of contention in recent months.
Fishermen across the country share that same pessimism, according to Annie Hawkins, executive director of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance.
RODA isa national organization comprisedof fishermen and businesses working to improve cooperation withthe federal government and wind developers.
Federal regulations werepoorly written and are now largely outdated because of technological advancements, Hawkins said.
Turbines today are many times larger than those a decade ago. The 12-megawatt GE turbines Orsted plans to use are 207 feet taller than Maryland’s tallest building(TransAmerica Tower in Baltimore)and 252 feet taller than the Washington Monument.
“The regulations really weren't tailored to accommodate for this type of large-scale development,” Hawkins said. “When the regulations were adopted, it was an entirely different market, we had entirely different technology and we were in a different political situation."
Federal rules prioritizespeed, efficiency
Offshore wind regulations were adoptedat a time when the offshore wind industry was struggling to get off the ground, Hawkins said.
The Cape Wind project, America's first attempt at offshore wind, was first proposed in 2000, according to the Cape Cod Times. Cape Wind faced years of stiff opposition by coastal groups in Massachusetts, lawsuits and financial issues that ultimately led the operation toclosein 2017.
“The regulations were drafted after the Cape Wind project did not get through permitting,” Hawkins said. “The government revised the regulations to try to get these projects more streamlined and have a better shot at getting them through.”
In 2009, President Barack Obama and Ken Salazar, secretary of the interior during Obama’s first term, established a new regulatory framework for offshore wind development.
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The administration set up a more straightforward system that would accelerate the review process from establishing a wind energy area through constructing a wind farm.
Yetthe process provides few opportunities forengagement with the public,according to Jeremy Firestone, professor and director of the Center for Research in Wind at the University of Delaware.
The National Environmental Policy Act is more of an "announce and defend law," Firestone said. At certain stages of the federal process the public can offer feedback about a project or potential wind energy area, but the input doesn't create much of a two-way dialogue.
When the federal government seeks public input, it takes written or verbal comments, Firestone said. Officials then goes back and issueresponses, leaving little opportunity for the public to ask questions.
These opportunities for public comment occur over several years, which can be confusing to some, Firestone said.
“Developers are working within that framework, and I think that’s part of the reason that some of these problems have arisen,” Firestone said.
Coastal groups feel ignored
Maryland's coastal communities and the offshore wind industry have had a difficult relationship for years. At its worst, communication wasalmost non-existent, which forced state regulators to step in.
Last August, the Maryland Public Service Commission, the state's regulatory body, criticized Orsted and ordered itto engage with stakeholders, saying, "Skipjack's duty to reach out to stakeholders was not contingent on the stakeholders' enthusiasm for the project."
Communication has improved since the state's intervention, according to Ocean City officials, and the wind companies have promised more engagement in the years ahead.
Last month, U.S. Wind hired Sea Risk Solutions to work with the fishing community, said CEO Jeffrey Grybowski. The consultants will meet regularly with fishermen and"walk the docks."
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Ocean City supports offshore wind, but the project's proximity to shore worries town officials and businesses who believe the colossal structures could drive away tourists.
U.S. Wind disagrees.
“I think offshore wind will be a spectacular boonfor Ocean City,” Grybowski said. “I simply don't think the evidence bears out the position that tourism will be hurt by offshore wind.”
Wind turbine placementis one of the main questions Ocean City officials ask the wind developer about during meetings, according toTerry McGean, city engineer for Ocean City.
Ocean City has "significant problems" trusting U.S. Wind and Orsted because when the town asks for information, the developerseither don't answer or say its "proprietary information," McGean said.
“Our concerns are heard and discounted,” McGean said.
Grybowski understands Ocean City's frustration, but said U.S. Wind doesn't always have every answer because plans are dependent on regulatory approval and can change.
The lack of answers, and for years a lack of communication, haveforced Ocean City to consider the worst-case scenario, which is many wind turbines as close to shore as legally possible, McGean said.
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"What needs to change is (the wind companies) need to be upfront with the town of Ocean City and the public as to what their actual plans are,” McGean said.
He continued, “The second thing that needs to happen is the wind companies, and frankly, a lot of their proponents need to stop discounting and being frankly condescending, to the real concerns that are being expressed by the community.”
'Let's get it right. Let's not just do it'
Gwin has fished for lobsters, Jonah crabs and black sea bass off the East Coast for more than 45 years. He's got fishing spots across the region, from as close as 3 miles to as far as 50 miles offshore.
Fishermen in Ocean City hear stories from their counterparts up north who also feel ignored the wind companies, which affects trust, Gwin said. Still, Maryland fishermen are trying to cooperate in the hopes that maybe the situation will be different.
"It just seems like this isn't well thought out," Gwin said. "I think the money behind this is the driving force to hurry up and put these turbines out there because they say, 'we're going to save the world.' "
He added, "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting off fossil fuels, I think it's a great idea, but how we're doingit is the problem I have."
Meehan isn't hopeful that meaningful changes will be made with the current set of state and federal regulations, he said. Until they're changed, coastal communities will be put in a "difficult position."
“It's discouraging because I still believe that someday somebody's going to look out at the ocean if in fact we can't get some change made, and see these turbines and say, how did you let that happen?” Meehan said.
There’s a way for offshore wind to move forward where all groups can benefit, Meehan said. That’s what Ocean City and fishermen want.
“Let’s get it right,” Meehan said. “Let’s not just do it.”
