Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley plans to introduce legislation requiring power companies to buy electricity from offshore wind farms, according to a Baltimore Sun story.
Administration spokesman Shaun Adamec said the details are still in development, but the proposal aims to make offshore wind "more attractive to investors", while giving the industry a "shot in the arm".
At least two other states–Delaware and New Jersey–already have similar incentives for offshore wind development. Maryland already has a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requiring utilities to acquire 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2022. However, offshore wind is currently much more expensive to develop than other forms of renewable energy, which is why Atlantic Coast states are considering boosting incentives for the industry.
In November, the Department of the Interior issued both a Request for Interest (RFI) and a map of an offshore wind leasing area in federal waters adjacent to Maryland’s Atlantic Coast.
Iberdrola Developing Missouri Wind Farm
Iberdrola Renewables (IBR.MC) the world’s largest wind power operator, is advancing plans for a $270 million wind farm in Missouri.
Iberdrola has been testing wind resources surrounding Jasper county, and reportedly is moving forward with land leasing.
The Carthage Press reports that dozens of farmers have already signed land leases for the 150 megawatts (MW) project. However, it could be another five years before ground-breaking
Wisconsin Bill Could Shut Down Wind Power
Governor Scott Walker has proposed a bill that wind power advocates say could shut down the industry in the state.
The proposed legislation would undermine siting reform legislation enacted just last year, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Among other provisions, the bill would require 1,800-foot wind turbine setbacks from property lines. That would be the most restrictive statewide setback requirement in the nation.
None of the wind projects currently proposed for the state would be able to move forward under the new rule–resulting in the loss of up to 700 MW of wind power and $1.8 billion in investments.
Advocacy group RENEW Wisconsin has put together a table of wind projects, titled “Projects on the Brink of Extinction,” identifying the proposed installations that could not proceed if the bill draft becomes law. That list is downloadable at the link below.
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