Dover - Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and wind energy advocates suffered a devastating defeat last week as the Maryland Legislature rejected the "centerpiece" of the Governor's environmental agenda, a plan to build the nation's first offshore wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean.
Governor O'Malley, a Democrat, was unable to convince fellow Democrats, who control both the House and Senate in Maryland, that increasing the state's commitment to wind energy was a wise investment.
According to the Washington Post, O'Malley personally lobbied Maryland lawmakers hard to pass his plan, but legislators shelved the proposal, calling for further study later this year. (See
A coalition of environmentalists and unions also lobbied for the $1.5 billon proposal, arguing that construction of the massive turbines would bring 2,000 jobs or more to the state, as well as make Maryland a leader in green energy.
According to the Post, the plan ran into significant opposition from both Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature, who said they had too many unanswered questions about the potential costs on the state's electric ratepayers.
Under a complicated set of steps laid out in the bill, the state would require Maryland utilities to sign 25-year agreements to buy offshore wind power at a price far above the current market rate. The subsidy would go to developers of the offshore wind farm who say they could not secure financing for the project otherwise. The cost would be spread among all residential and commercial customers through a monthly fee on electric bills.
For most residential customers the cost was estimated between $1.44 to $3.61 a month, for large companies and municipalities the surcharge could add up to 2 percent of their bills, or tens of thousands of dollars monthly.
David T. Stevenson, the Director of the Caesar Rodney Institute's Center for Energy Competitiveness in Dover, said Delaware legislators should heed the warnings raised by their Maryland neighbors over the costs of wind power and other alternative energy sources:
"Maryland legislators showed great prudence and courage to stand up to their Governor's reckless environmental schemes. Rather than just continue to "go with the flow," these legislators exhibited true leadership. They took a second look at the costs of these proposals and looked out for the best interest of Maryland's taxpayers, businesses and rate payers."
"Delaware legislators have a similar opportunity with HB 86."
"By suspending Delaware's participation in the costly and ineffective state level cap a trade scheme known as RGGI, our legislators can deliver a similar victory for the people of Delaware."
"We should embrace effective, fiscally responsible plans for clean and efficient energy production. But, as Maryland legislators recognized, there's a difference between political rhetoric and the real world. Grand environmental plans may make Governors and other politicians feel good about themselves, allowing them to trumpet their 'commitment' to our planet. But costly boondoggles, like RGGI and Atlantic wind farms, don't deserve legislative support," Stevenson said.
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