Baltimore-based US Wind, Inc. has pledged $100,000 to Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, a National Estuary Program.
The pledge will serve as a capstone contribution to the capital campaign behind their master plan for the James Farm Ecological Preserve. The Center will name the new facility the US Wind Environmental Education Center at the James Farm Ecological Preserve.
The Center for the Inland Bay’s work to preserve, protect and restore Delaware inland bays is critically important, said US Wind CEO Jeff Gboki. “We’re glad to be partnering with such a trusted and effective Delaware organization and honored to lend our name to the Environmental Education Center.”
“US Wind’s commitment to clean, renewable energy and the health of our coast is tremendous, said Chis Bacon, executive director for the Center for the Inland Bays. “We’re honored to add US Wind’s name to the Environmental Education Building that will be constructed as a part of the Master Plan for the James Farm Ecological Preserve. Their support will greatly improve the center’s capacity to educate and engage youth and adults in our efforts to restore the health of the Inland Bays and their watershed for decades to come.”
US Wind is developing an 80,000-acre federal lease area off the coast of Maryland. In 2017, the company was awarded Offshore Renewable Energy Credits (ORECs) from the state of Maryland for its MarWin project. In 2021, US Wind has submitted its plan to provide an additional 1,200 MW with the full buildout of Momentum Wind.
US Wind is majority-owned by Renexia SpA, a leader in renewable energy development in Italy and a subsidiary of Toto Holding SpA. Toto Holding SpA has more than 40 years of experience specializing in large infrastructure projects, primarily in the energy sector.
It is one of two offshore wind projects in the area. The US Wind project is mainly off the coast of Maryland. The Skipjack Ørsted project is off the Delaware Coast.
Ørsted has indicated that powerlines from the Skipjack project will come ashore in Delaware. No location has been selected since a plan to bring the cable ashore in a small portion of Fenwick Island State Park was dropped for environmental reasons.
Ocean City officials and some residents have opposed the wind projects, citing reasons ranging from fishing issues to the towers housing turbines driving away vacation renters. Offshore wind officials have claimed the towers would be barely visible, even on a clear day.
Wind power developers say the towers would bring high-paying construction jobs to both Maryland and Delaware. Manufacturing of the towers would take place in Maryland.
The projects are strongly supported by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
