Facts

The Offshore Wind Alliance is a nonpartisan, nonprofit community movement dedicated to bringing offshore wind and economic opportunity to Maryland and Delaware.

Offshore Wind is America’s next great economic and environmental success story.

It is a clean source of energy, and unlike fossil fuels America enjoys an unlimited supply. New momentum is accelerating offshore wind growth in our region, as two globally-recognized offshore wind projects are already under development off the Maryland and Delaware coasts.

Our Economy Wins with Offshore Wind:

  • The East Coast is expected to see 83,000 new offshore wind jobs by 2030
  • The Biden Administration has set a national goal of powering 10 million American homes and businesses with renewable offshore wind energy by 2030.
  • Thanks to Maryland’s Clean Energy Jobs Act, offshore wind is poised to create $1.5 billion in new worker and business income in Maryland.
  • Businesses and organized labor in Delaware and Maryland can win contracts in the offshore wind supply chain.
  • Developers of offshore wind off the Maryland-Delaware coast are to create opportunities for minority-owned companies to participate as investors as well as in the development and construction of the projects.

Our Environment Wins with Offshore Wind:

  • Offshore wind is a clean, carbon-free source of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, wind turbines emit no pollutants as they generate the energy that powers our homes and businesses.
  • Delaware and Maryland are low lying states with coastal communities susceptible to coastal flooding. By developing offshore wind capacity, we can reduce our reliance on the fossil fuels that contribute to a changing climate and the coastal flooding that threatens lives, property, and coastal economies.
  • The Biden Administration has set a goal of developing enough offshore wind energy to avoid 78 million tons of carbon pollution nationwide.
  • In Maryland, offshore wind will help the state avoid an estimated 8.1 million tons of carbon pollution every year. Delaware is also actively exploring legislation to expand its commitment to offshore wind.
  • Offshore wind is even good for our health. Less reliance on fossil fuels means less carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide, in the air we breathe.

Offshore Wind Enjoys Bipartisan Support:

  • President Biden and governors in both parties are putting plans in place for more offshore wind development to create good-paying jobs, including union jobs for their constituents.

However, clean energy opponents stand in the way. Some voices in our community oppose current plans for offshore wind, and they are investing heavily to stop our progress toward a clean energy economy.