Delegation from OC Takes Turbine Issue to Washington While MD AG Brown Files Lawsuit against Trump’s Halting of Offshore Wind Development

A delegation of local Ocean City area officials led by Mayor Rick Meehan went to Washington, DC last week to request a moratorium on any Federal activity allowing the construction of offshore wind farms off Maryland’s Coast. Mayor Meehan told the Talk of Delmarva’s Mike Bradley on Monday that he’s confident they will see positive action – but they’ll return to Washington if needed to keep pushing to halt the planned turbines. Monday afternoon, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a lawsuit with 18 other attorneys general against the Trump administration’s attempt to halt the development of wind energy.

From a release from MD State Senator Mary Beth Carozza:

The delegation included Carozza and Mayor Meehan, Worcester County Commissioner Joe Mitrecic who represents Ocean City; Town of Ocean City Manager Terry McGean; and Adam Showell, Jr.Town of Ocean City Manager Terry McGean, owner and operator of oceanfront Castle in the Sand Hotel in Ocean City.

The delegation met with U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie of Kentucky to request his assistance in halting Maryland’s offshore wind energy project. During the meeting, Mayor Meehan led off by outlining the substantial threat of industrializing the ocean with offshore wind farms on the tourism economy as well as on commercial fishing, marine life, and safety related to marine traffic and military radar.

In addition, Mayor Meehan highlighted the true cost to the Maryland ratepayer of the US Wind tax at $12.83 per month and the actual cost increase for electricity supply costs for a business is 25 percent. This does not include the additional costs for constructing battery storage facilities
and other infrastructure necessary to support offshore wind power.

During the meeting, Senator Carozza pointed out the many unanswered questions and concerns that were raised during the Offshore Wind Congressional hearing held in Ocean City in January 2024 and that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has failed to present a non-biased
conclusion that offshore wind energy development off Maryland’s Coast is in the best interest of the community and has failed to show that offshore wind energy development would be a reliable and affordable energy source.

While on Capitol Hill, the Ocean City delegation also met with Congressman Andy Harris, member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and strong opponent of offshore wind energy development. The Maryland Offshore Wind presentation also was shared with staff of U.S. Senator Susan Collins, who is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Letters to U.S. Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum requesting the Trump Administration halt Maryland’s offshore wind energy project have been sent by Congressman Harris, Senator Carozza, and Mayor Meehan.

“We presented a unified front in our strong opposition to US Wind’s offshore wind energy project and to the industrialization of our ocean,” said Senator Carozza. “There are multiple negative impacts from tourism to commercial fishing to marine life, boat traffic, and military communications, plus it’s the most expensive way to generate energy. We have made a strong case for the federal government to stop US Wind’s offshore wind energy project in Maryland just as New York’s offshore wind project was halted last month.”

Information from Attorney General Anthony Brown:

On January 20, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum that, among other things, indefinitely halted all federal approvals necessary for the development of offshore and onshore wind energy projects pending federal review. Pursuant to this directive, federal agencies have stopped all permitting and approval activities and have even issued a stop work order to a fully permitted project in New York that had already begun construction. Wind energy is a homegrown source of reliable, affordable energy that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, creates billions of dollars in economic activity and tax payments, and supplies more than 10% of the country’s electricity.  

“The Trump Administration’s outrageous and unlawful freeze on wind energy development is nothing short of a direct assault on Maryland’s future climate security and economic prosperity. Wind power provides hardworking Marylanders with well-paying jobs, strengthens our power grid, and helps us fight the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change,” said Attorney General Brown. “With this lawsuit, we are protecting the livelihoods of thousands of families and standing firm against President Trump’s reckless attack on an industry that offers to secure reliable, affordable, and clean energy for every Marylander.” 

“The president’s actions violate federal law and will make it harder for us to help Marylanders keep the money they make. One of the best strategies for driving down utility costs is ramping up clean energy production through wind power,” said Governor Wes Moore. “At a moment when families are feeling the strain of high energy bills, we should focus on cutting red tape, not halting critical infrastructure projects. I thank Attorney General Brown for standing by our people, our economy, and the Constitution of the United States.” 

The attorneys general allege that the President’s directive harms their states’ efforts to secure reliable, diversified, and affordable sources of energy to meet increasing demand for electricity and help reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, meet clean energy goals, and address climate change. The directive also threatens to thwart the states’ significant investments in wind industry infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce development—investments that already total billions of dollars.   

Maryland specifically has invested heavily in wind energy as part of its plan to fight climate change. State law requires Maryland to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045, with wind power serving as a cornerstone of this effort. In 2023, Maryland set an ambitious goal to develop 8,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2031.  

The offshore wind industry is expected to be a significant source of good paying jobs and economic benefits to the state. One project alone, the Maryland Offshore Wind Project by U.S. Wind, is projected to support more than 13,000 jobs and bring over $6 billion in economic benefits to Maryland.   

Maryland has also committed millions in state funding to build a wind energy workforce and supply chain, with $5 million allocated in Fiscal Year 2025 alone. All of these economic opportunities and climate benefits are now at risk due to the administration’s abrupt halt on wind energy development. 

The coalition argues that the Presidential Memorandum and federal agencies’ subsequent implementation of it violate the Administrative Procedure Act and other federal laws because they, among other things, provide no reasoned explanation for categorically and indefinitely halting all wind energy development—a sudden change that reverses longstanding federal policy and is inconsistent with recent federal action propping up other forms of energy. The lawsuit also alleges that the abrupt halt on all permitting violates numerous federal statutes that prescribe specific procedures and timelines for federal permitting and approvals—procedures the administration wholly disregarded in stopping wind-energy development altogether.        

In filing this lawsuit, the attorneys general are asking the Court to declare the President’s directive illegal and prevent the administration from taking any action to delay or prevent wind energy development.  

Joining Attorney General Brown in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.