Trump Administration looks to rescind key permit for Maryland Offshore Wind project

In its latest move to stymie offshore wind development, the Trump Administration asked a US federal judge on 12 September to rescind approval for US Wind’s 2.2-GW Maryland Offshore Wind project.

The project’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP) had received approval from the Biden Administration’s Department of the Interior (DOI) on 3 December 2024.

But in August, the DOI under the Trump Administration launched a full review of offshore wind energy regulations to ensure they align with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and President Trump’s executive orders on offshore wind.

Maryland Offshore Wind had the backing of Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Biden Administration. But leaders and residents of Ocean City, which depends heavily on tourism, have filed suits opposing the project.

Planned in three phases, the large-scale offshore wind project would see the construction and installation of 114 wind turbines about 16 km off the coast of Maryland and Delaware. The approved COP would also allow for the installation of four offshore substations, a meteorological tower, and up to four offshore export cable corridors with subsea transmission cables making landfall in Sussex County, Delaware.

“The unlawful actions by the Trump Administration against fully permitted offshore wind projects up and down the East Coast represent one of the largest, economically devastating assaults on US workers, businesses and energy in decades” said Oceantic Network chief executive, Liz Burdock.

But US Representative Andy Harris (R-Maryland) applauded the decision by the Trump Administration for the project. “This is a victory for the people of Ocean City and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, who were consistently ignored by federal bureaucrats pushing this offshore project without proper local input or approval” said the Congressman.

US Wind is 80% owned by Renexia SpA, a subsidiary of Italy’s Toto Holding, with the remaining 20% controlled by the US-based fund Apollo.