MARYLAND/DELAWARE - Offshore wind developer US Wind has announced a proposed $20 million investment to support commercial fishing operations in Maryland and Delaware, as part of agreements with each state’s environmental agencies.
The memoranda of understanding with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control aim to address concerns from the local fishing industry as offshore wind development takes place off the coast.
“This proposal, one of the biggest investments in commercial fishing in the region, demonstrates our commitment to the fishing industry and the local community in which we’ll operate,” said Jeffrey Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “The funding will provide direct support to commercial and charter fishermen, grants for local businesses, and support for harbor maintenance and infrastructure. We’re looking forward to continuing our work with local fishermen and the states of Maryland and Delaware to finalize this unprecedented agreement.”
Maryland Fishing Support
In Maryland, $13.5 million of the total package will go toward the Maryland Fishing Community Resilience Fund. That includes:
Grants for harbor-based fishing businesses to maintain services such as catch offloading and ice supply
Thirty years of harbor maintenance funding for West Ocean City, including dredging and dock stabilization
Investment in gear innovation, seafood marketing, business development, and incentives for new commercial fishermen
Maryland DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz, who signed the agreement on behalf of Maryland said, “This agreement works to balance our need to develop reliable and clean domestic energy sources with our desire to support the state’s seafood industry and commercial fishing operations.”
Delaware Fishing Investment
Delaware’s Multi-Use Fishing Community Resilience Fund will focus more heavily on research and technology, including development of novel fishing gear. DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson praised the plan saying, “This MOU represents a balance: advancing needed energy generation while taking meaningful steps to protect fishing livelihoods and strengthen coastal resilience.”
Additional Multi-State Benefits
The agreements also outline additional multi-state programs:
A $5.4 million claims-based compensation fund for commercial and charter fishermen who can show lost revenue from US Wind projects
Over $1 million for navigation safety improvements and crew safety training for vessels operating near the windfarms
Offshore Wind Facility Plans
To support its projects, US Wind plans to build an Operations and Maintenance facility at West Ocean City Harbor. The offshore wind group says the site will coordinate turbine servicing and support for crews. Under the company’s proposal in the MOU with Maryland DNR, the company will use only one of the two properties that it has optioned in West Ocean City.