Supporters from across the state join Governor O’Malley and General Assembly leaders for Maryland Offshore Wind bill Signing.

With his signature, Governor O’Malley initiated the process outlined in the bill that will result in the construction of turbines off the coast of Ocean City. The Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 creates a mechanism to incentivize the development of a major 200 megawatt offshore wind facility and establish a regulatory framework that will allow additional projects to interconnect in Maryland.

The law provides a “strike zone” of ratepayer protections only allowing the Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve a proposed offshore wind farm if it projects that the additional ratepayer impact is below $1.50 per household or 1.5 percent for non-residential customers.Developers must demonstrate that any project proposed will result in a net economic benefit to the state by creating jobs, economic development and protecting public health.  The 2013 legislation also contains a $10 million Offshore Wind Business Development Fund targeted to small and minority businesses to assist them in preparing to participate in this new industry.

Working with the U.S. Department of Interior, Maryland agencies have helped designate a Maryland “Wind Energy Area” 10 nautical miles east of Ocean City that is expected to be leased to developers later this year.

Governor O’Malley and all of Maryland’s leaders deserve great praise and appreciation for stepping up and creating a path forward for offshore wind development in our state. This is precisely the kind of leadership needed at this moment in time to jumpstart a robust offshore wind industry in America. This accomplishment not only means healthier air, cleaner energy, and more jobs for Maryland, but also signals the growing momentum for offshore wind energy along the entire Atlantic Coast.  Here are a few highlights:

• Massachusetts: In New Bedford, MA, major investments are being made to expand the South Terminal port facility in order to support the construction and operation of Cape Wind and future offshore wind projects.  Cape Wind is expected to commence construction this year, and the Department of the Interior (DOI) is expected to issue additional leases off of New England via auction later this year.
• Rhode Island: A 30 MW demonstration project is moving forward in state waters off Block Island, with plans to also commence construction this year. DOI is on track to auction leases for additional offshore wind project sites later this year.
• New Jersey: In anticipation of major offshore wind development, the firm Weeks Marine has begun construction of a multi-million-dollar vessel designed specifically to install offshore wind turbines. 
• Virginia: Dominion has received Department of Energy funding for an offshore wind demonstration project, and is one of eight entities that has expressed interest in securing a lease for an offshore wind project in the federally designated Wind Energy Area off of Virginia. DOI is expected hold a lease auction for this site before the end of the year. 
• Mid-Atlantic Transmission: The DOI also cleared the way for the company Atlantic Wind Connection – with investment support from Google, Inc. — to receive right-of-way approval for an ocean-based transmission line, pending additional review.
• Federal Tax Incentives: The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is critical for offshore wind development and provides a strong market signal to energy investors. Congress is currently considering a proposal to extend the current tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of 2013. 
• Federal Investments: In early December, the U.S. Department of Energy announced seven offshore wind awards for projects in Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. As part of the Energy Department’s broader efforts to launch an offshore wind industry in the United States, these engineering, design and deployment projects will support innovative offshore installations in state and federal waters for commercial operation by 2017.

The National Wildlife Federation is working with a broad coalition of partners to build momentum and support for the rapid, responsible development of our offshore wind energy resources. Building clean energy is critical to protect wildlife from the dangers of climate change, but we must also be sure that strong conservation principles guide our offshore wind development activities. In a first of its kind collaboration, NWF and a coalition of leading environmental organizations and offshore wind developers have reached an agreement on needed measures to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales during pre-development activities. This collaborative agreement between key ocean stakeholders helps expedite offshore wind development while ensuring protection of the Atlantic’s precious ecosystem.

To learn more about progress on Atlantic Offshore Wind development and its significant potential to power our homes and businesses with clean, renewable energy, please view our recent report The Turning Point for Atlantic Offshore Wind Energy: Time for Action to Create Jobs, Reduce Pollution, Protect Wildlife & Secure America’s Energy Future

The Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act establishes a market-driven process to incentivize the construction of ocean-based wind turbines 10 miles or more off the coast of Ocean City. By investing in appropriately-sited offshore wind, Maryland is seizing the opportunity to make our electricity supply cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable.  Advancement of the Offshore Wind Energy Act ensures protection of the state’s critical natural resources while helping Maryland meet its energy needs.

For nearly 3 years, the National Wildlife Federation has partnered with local conservation, faith, and civic organizations through the Maryland Climate Coalition striving to build momentum and support for the rapid, responsible development of our offshore wind energy resources.  This effort was made possible through individuals across the state who collected more than 10,000 petition signatures, made hundreds of phone calls, sent handwritten letters, and attended town hall meetings and rallies. We join our Maryland partners – and offshore wind advocates along the coast – in celebrating this Win for Offshore Wind.

The proposal championed by Gov. Martin O’Malley will be an economic powerhouse for Maryland, while helping the state achieve its renewable energy goals, reduce emissions and improve air and water quality.

Broad Support for Offshore Wind in Maryland

Governor O’Malley introduces Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013.

A December 2012 poll commissioned by the Maryland Offshore Wind Coalition and conducted by OpinionWorks demonstrated that a growing number of Maryland voters and a strong majority—72 percent—support investing in the development of offshore wind power.  These results represent an 8-percent increase since similar polling was conducted in December 2011.

It is clear that Marylanders want to transition to renewable sources of energy.  The polls also found that 80 percent of those surveyed would “prefer to invest in clean wind power, rather than build another power plant that burns fossil fuels” and contributes to global warming pollution.  Maryland imports 30 percent of our energy from neighboring states, primarily coal from Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Offshore wind can help Maryland meet its energy needs, through home-grown sources, without creating more pollution.

Clean Energy Critical for Chesapeake Bay Wildlife

Transitioning to clean energy sources, such as Atlantic offshore wind is one of the essential ways to protect wildlife for our children’s future.  Sea level rise caused by global warming pollution is the single biggest threat to wildlife and habitats like the Chesapeake Bay.  With its expansive coastline, low-lying topography, and growing coastal population, the Chesapeake Bay region is among the places in the nation most vulnerable to sea level rise.

The state of Maryland is currently losing approximately 580 acres every year to shore erosion, placing natural treasures like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Tangier Sound and the wildlife species that depend on them at risk. Last summer, research from the U.S. Geological Survey found that oceans are rising three to four times faster between portions of North Carolina and Massachusetts than in other parts of the globe, partially because of land subsidence.

National Wildlife Federation is working with a broad coalition of partners all along the Atlantic coast to build momentum and support for the rapid, responsible development of our offshore wind energy resources.

Wind turbines off Blyth, UK (Flickr’s Zabdiel

The coalition sent a letter to President Obama today with more than 200 signers, including the National Wildlife Federation, Environment America, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and dozens of other groups representing millions of Americans. It calls for continued federal leadership to move away from fossil fuels and applauds administration efforts over the last year, specifically the Interior Department’s “Smart from the Start” initiative. The program has designated appropriate areas for wind development in federal waters off the coast of six Atlantic states—Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

What is the coalition specifically asking the Obama administration to do?

• Support federal financial investments to spur offshore wind development;
• Set a bold goal for offshore wind in the Atlantic;
• Ensure that offshore wind projects are sited, constructed and operated responsibly;
• Provide DOI and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with sufficient staff and resources, and
• Prioritize coordination to secure a market for offshore wind power.

Some people have a misperception that you have to choose between offshore wind energy and thriving wildlife populations. Much of that is due to a misinformation campaign funded in large part by William Koch, one of the billionaire polluting Koch brothers who’s fighting clean energy just because he doesn’t want to see it off his Cape Cod estate. The truth is that America urgently needs to clean up our electricity grid if we are to protect wildlife from the dangers of climate change. Experiences in Europe show us that offshore wind energy can be ramped up rapidly, economically, and an in a way that protects our wildlife and natural resources.

The federal government is making wildlife protection a top priority as it moves forward with offshore wind energy siting, leasing and development. From today’s Washington Post report on the planned auction to Atlantic Ocean offshore wind farm developers:

Before opening offshore plots to wind farms — the total area is more than 1.5 million acres — the government is spending millions to study the distribution and behavior of such federally protected migratory species as red knots, roseate terns and piping plovers, as well as of diving birds, which forage on the continental shelf.

“Conservationists of all political stripes are united behind offshore wind as a winner for America’s wildlife, public health and economy,” says Catherine Bowes, the National Wildlife Federation’s senior manager for new energy solutions. “Clean energy solutions are critical to protecting our wildlife, fish and natural resources for future generations of outdoor enthusiasts.”

Take Action

Tell the Obama administration you support properly sited and developed offshore wind energy to protect wildlife. Please take a moment to email the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management urging them to bring clean wind energy to states along the Atlantic coast.

In just a few short days, legislators in Annapolis will likely vote to determine if we transition to clean, renewable offshore wind energy or if we maintain the status quo of burning fossil fuels that pollute our air and water, harm our health, and threaten wildlife and their habitats.  We have the opportunity to help jumpstart a vital new offshore wind power industry in Maryland. To win, we absolutely need your help!

Help Make History

You can help make history in Annapolis on Monday, April 2nd!  Please join me and hundreds of people like you from across the region as we form a circle of support around the Maryland state house to encourage lawmakers to embrace offshore wind power.  The 2012 legislative session ends on April 9th, so this is our last chance!

Maryland’s state house is the oldest state capitol in continuous use and over the last 240 years has been the site of countless policy debates and public demonstrations.  Yet, not even long-time activists and lawmakers can recall people coming together to form a full ring around the state house ever happening before.  It will take several hundred people.  We need your help to make the event a success and get the attention of the media and lawmakers.

Together, we can make the support for clean, offshore wind energy impossible to ignore.

Sign Up to Attend & Ride Free Buses to Annapolis

We’re going to make it super easy for you to get to Annapolis from around the state by chartering buses from Baltimore, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. One 56-seat bus will be chartered from each area. Plus, riders get a free “Wind Works” t-shirt and healthy snacks for the trip! After completing this registration page, click on the link to reserve your seat!

Support Clean Offshore Wind to Protect Wildlife

Wildlife, including the loggerhead sea turtles that swim in the Atlantic Ocean, face an uncertain future due to the impacts of climate change. Saving loggerhead sea turtles from climate change requires a switch to clean energy–including offshore wind in the Atlantic.

Fight for sea turtles and other wildlife by helping build momentum and support for the rapid, responsible development of our offshore wind energy resources. 

Take Action

Join us in Annapolis on April 2nd to form a Circle of Support for Offshore Wind. 

If you live in Maryland, you can also contact your state representatives and let them know why you think wind works for Maryland.

Clean Energy is Essential to Future of Wildlife

Transitioning to clean energy sources, such as Atlantic offshore wind, is one of the essential ways to protect wildlife for our children’s future.  Sea level rise caused by global warming pollution is the single biggest threat to wildlife and habitats like the Chesapeake Bay.  With its expansive coastline, low-lying topography, and growing coastal population, the Chesapeake Bay region is among the places in the nation most vulnerable to sea level rise.  Treasured places like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Tangier Sound and the wildlife species that depend on them are at risk.

Offshore Wind Works For Maryland

Watch advocates from climate, health and business groups share how offshore wind works for Maryland.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Offshore wind will help improve our environment and quality of life while bolstering our economy.  The average price of electricity in Maryland has doubled over the last decade, in large part due to the volatile cost of fossil fuels.  We currently import 30% of our energy from neighboring states, primarily coal from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Because the fuel (wind) is free, offshore wind power offers the ability to lock-in long-term energy prices for 25 years or more without the threat of rising fossil fuel prices.  In addition, one moderate-sized offshore wind farm would create 1,550 jobs for Maryland workers.

Show Your Support for Maryland Offshore Wind

Join the National Wildlife Federation in working with supporters and a broad coalition of partners all along the Atlantic coast to build momentum and support for the rapid, responsible development of our offshore wind energy resources.  By diversifying our energy portfolio with offshore wind we can help ensure energy security, price stability, and pollution reductions while achieving significant environmental benefits over fossil fuels which are the biggest threat to our environment.

You can demonstrate your support for the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 by contacting your delegate and senator.

Take Action

If you live in Maryland,  tell your legislators and governor that you support of offshore wind

Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County, MD (flickr | cseeman)

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley announced recently that nearly $23 million will go toward State Park and public land projects in the proposed FY2013 budget, with a special emphasis on their role as resources to connect the state’s families with the outdoors and provide “better natural play areas for children”:

…The State’s parks will also serve as outdoor classrooms for the State’s new environmental literacy requirements.

“State Parks are the epitome of affordable getaways for families, models for living in harmony with nature, and a vital tonic for the mind, body and spirit,” said Tim Casey, Chair of the Governor’s State Park Advisory Commission. “These strategic investments will benefit millions of Marylanders, increasing access to the outdoors, creating jobs and restoring the environment for today and future generations.”

The budget announcement is only the latest example of Maryland’s support for connecting kids with nature.

Governor O’Malley joined Congressman John Sarbanes, Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources John Griffin, State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick and members of the No Child Left Inside Coalition in 2008 to establish the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, a project to ensure all Maryland young people have the opportunity to connect with the natural world and become conservation stewards. Last June, First Lady Katie O’Malley kicked off the Great American Backyard Campout with help from NWF and the Maryland Park Service, pitching a tent with local kids to demonstrate one of the outdoor activities that make up the Maryland Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights.

As for making sure these kids learn about nature in the classroom too, the State Board of the Maryland Department of Education adopted a new policy last year—the first of its kind—requiring high school students in the state to attain a basic level of environmental literacy before graduation. A few months later, Congressman John Paul Sarbanes, who represents Maryland’s third district, introduced a House version of the No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) to assist states in the development and implementation of stronger environmental literacy programs for K-12 students.

You can see the Maryland State Parks Economic Impact and Visitor Study online here, and stay tuned to Wildlife Promise for updates on this major statement in support of natural play.

Best helmet ever. (Courtesy Greg Fiume, Maryland Athletics)

The University of Maryland’s football team—the Terrapins—is popularly known for three things: hosting the Queen of England at her first American game (they beat North Carolina), winning a couple of national championships in the 1950s and integrating the predominantly southern Atlantic Coast Conference in 1963.

This week, the Terps introduced new uniforms that may well end up being item number four. They are, setting aside any pretense of objectivity, awesome. Take a look at the Flash photo gallery of the unveiling shindig.

One of Maryland’s new helmets pays direct visual homage to an iconic brackish water reptile—its pattern is meant to mimic the ringed shelltop arrangement that gives the diamondback terrapin its name.

While terrapins have been abundant (by one name or another) at Byrd Stadium for nearly 120 years, the non-helmeted variety has sometimes struggled to maintain a foothold in the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere in its traditional East- and Gulf-Coast home range, rebounding from over-harvesting by turtle-soup-hungry Americans in the 1700s and 1800s only to contend with destruction of coastal marsh habitat, boat and automobile traffic, nuisance crab traps and other obstacles (not to mention climate change) in recent years. In 2002, the University of Maryland began to donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of its popular “Fear the Turtle” merchandise to fund terrapin research and conservation efforts at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

A diamondback terrapin, 'protecting this house' in the traditional fashion (flickr | ben.wurst)

I love the idea of an animal-focused football jersey (and not the usual pugnacious and/or cheerful animal wearing a sweater). The only other college team I can think of (believe me, I spent some time) whose uniform features this kind of semi-authentic wildlife body ornamentation is the Oregon Ducks, whose myriad wacky uniforms sometimes feature stylized shoulder wings.

Can anyone come up with other examples? Comment below. (Or: tell me why the new Terps getup is not the greatest wildlife-themed sports uniform of all time. I dare ya).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Last week must have been a slow news week for the right wing media,  as the new Maryland state environmental education graduation requirement was placed on their “most wanted” media hit list alongside the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign; which is as much about children’s health as it is about our military readiness.  Reports have come out that we as a society have become too fat to fight!  Regardless of the reports the right wing continues to attack the program and now they have set their sights on environmental education.

Last week on Sean Hannity’s Fox news show, he railed against the environmental literacy requirement just passed by the Maryland Board of Education.  He suggested that teaching children about the environment was somehow pushing climate change “propaganda”.   What do you think gets the Hannity Fox news “Take back America” clan so riled up about getting kids in touch with nature and learning better in school through hands-on environmental education?  Do they fear it means that when kids grow up they will be less likely to follow their right wing policies that result in dirty air and water in our communities if they understand all sides of an issue including their impact on the environment? Under the new Maryland requirement, students will need to exhibit their understanding of energy, matter, and sustainability among other issues in order to graduate.  Why is that bad? We need to teach kids the full story about the environment and the challenges they will face, we can’t ruin the planet and burden future generations further by not telling them the full story.

No one really knows what’s behind the right wing’s radical agenda, other than billions of dollars (thanks Koch brothers)!

Environmental Education and playing outdoors in nature is a child’s fundamental right.  Kids these days spend 7-8 hours in front of a screen and only 4-7 minutes outside in unstructured play.  Therefore, any measure such as a graduation requirement that will get our kids off the couch and out of doctor’s offices waiting for adolescent diabetes medication should be welcomed with open arms, not ridiculed as a “conspiracy indoctrination” scheme as “so and so” put it.   Hannity and the Tea Party enthusiasts want to keep our kids indoors, pumped up with sugar and fat, so once they wake up from their food haze they will be powerless and unprepared to reverse the damage being inflicted on our planet!

Environmental literacy is a pathway to maintaining U.S. technological leadership — by helping kids stay interested in and not bored by science and technology.

Environmental Education will not only prepare our children to be stewards of the environment but it will provide them with the skills necessary to innovate and lead in the 21^st Century clean energy economy.  Therefore, Maryland’s environmental education requirement should be cheered by anyone who cares about the future of our economy and ranking in the world!  The question we need to ask is why Hannity doesn’t want our kids to lead in the inevitable green economy? Why are they so bent on holding America back?

We need a thoughtful and educated workforce prepared to take America forward, not the noise of a clan of people with antiquated ideals that want to take our country “back” to the 20^th Century!

Maryland First Lady Katie O'Malley speaks about the Great American Backyard Campout

Research shows that kids are spending an average of 7 hours 38 minutes per day connected to technology, while only spending an average of 7 minutes per day in unstructured play.  While kids are engaged in organized sports, there isn’t a lot of time spent outside connecting with the natural world.  “Nature deficit” is creating a generation of kids who recognize more corporate logos than animals in their own backyard.

“One of the greatest threats to wildlife is a generation of children entirely disconnected from nature,” said Tony Caligiuri, mid-Atlantic regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation.  “The Great American Backyard Campout provides a simple, inexpensive way for families to have fun, while rediscovering the great outdoors.”

National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There campaign addresses the “indoor child” problem.  The Great American Backyard Campout is one of the campaign’s signature events. It takes place on June 25^th and encourages families to camp out.

Details of the event can be found at www.backyardcampout.org.

Nine Maryland Parks Hosting a Great American Backyard Campout

Maryland First Lady Katie O’Malley, the National Wildlife Federation, and Maryland Park Service promoted the 7^th annual Great American Backyard Campout by pitching a tent with local children on the Government House lawn.  You can read the entire story on NWF’s media center.

Big Problem, Easy Solution

We brought a group of kids together to pitch a tent on the Maryland Government House Lawn and placed a butterfly net, Ranger Rick magazines, and some sticks with marshmallows around a faux campfire.  Within minutes, without adult instruction (or interference), the Governor’s son picked up the net and began hunting for butterflies in the nearby garden.  Other children played in the tent or “roasted” marshmallows over an unlit fire.  Kids don’t need structured play and specialized equipment to connect with the outdoors- they just have to Be Out There!

“The campout is a great way for people of all ages to develop a connection to the outdoor world.  By encouraging children to spend time outdoors, whether at a State Park or in their own backyards, we are teaching them to respect nature and helping to create the next generation of stewards.”  – First Lady Katie O’Malley

Rediscover the Great Outdoors in Maryland

The Maryland Park Service has registered nine State Parks for the Great American Backyard Campout, including Dan’s Mountain, Patapsco Valley, Elk Neck, Sandy Point, Cunningham Falls, Deep Creek Lake, New Germany, Point Lookout, and Pocomoke River State Parks.  Each will host special events, including outdoor cooking classes, beachcombing, hiking, canoeing, and campfires.  More details can be found at Maryland Park Service.

Register your backyard or other campsite today for the Great American Backyard Campout >>