Maryland tackling climate change through renewable energy in the offshore wind industry

BALTIMORE -- The Biden administration and Governor Wes Moore announced a partnership to advance offshore wind progress here in Maryland on Friday. 

The plan will make Maryland a key player in the country's efforts to create clean renewable energy in the Mid-Atlantic by 2030.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the state of Maryland signed a memorandum of understanding to support the coordinated development of wind energy on the state's shores for years to come.

"Offshore winds means manufacturing jobs, offshore winds means higher wages, offshore winds means more opportunities to grow wealth for Maryland families and oftentimes in families where that aspiration of wealth has not been attained," Governor Moore said in an announcement Friday.  

This agreement highlights the partnership with the federal government and the state to also cut energy costs for families while also tackling the climate crisis by deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by the year 2030. 

"We will choose to have both - both a green economy and a growing economy and offshore wind is going to help us get there," Moore said. 

In addition, it will boost jobs and the economy through Tradepoint Atlantic which is the former home of Bethlehem Steel, which in its glory days provided thousands of good paying manufacturing jobs to Sparrows Point. 

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen also reflected on the plan stating, "U.S. wind is going to be building components for the big turbines that will spin to generate clean energy and we were successful in securing a federal grant on workforce development working with our union partners and others to make sure good paying jobs return to Sparrows Point - this time as part of our clean energy revolution."