Ørsted Submits Bid for Maryland Offshore Wind Project

Ørsted has submitted a bid to develop its proposed 760 MW Skipjack Wind 2 offshore wind project off the coast of Maryland.

Ørsted is currently developing Skipjack Wind 1, a 120 MW project off the Maryland-Delaware coast that is scheduled to be operational by the second quarter of 2026. The project was awarded during Maryland’s first offshore wind solicitation in May of 2017.

The company said its bid for the Skipjack Wind 2 project is in response to the Maryland Public Service Commission’s second round solicitation, which aims to award at least 1,200 MW of Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credits.

“Ørsted is privileged to already be a long-term partner to the state of Maryland as it works to meet its offshore wind goals,” said David Hardy, CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America. “We are proud to build, own, and operate wind farms across the world and will bring that same approach to Maryland. As such, these at least 30-year commitments we are making to the state are designed to provide long-term benefits to all of the communities that will be home to our facilities. In continuing to deliver on our commitments now, and well into the future, we will ensure that Maryland’s offshore wind industry will thrive for decades to come.”

As part of the Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2019, Maryland has committed to sourcing 50 percent of the state’s energy needs from renewable energy by 2030.

Ørsted is a leading global offshore wind developer, operating 28 offshore wind farms globally including America’s first offshore wind farm, the Block Island Wind Farm, as well as the two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project, which are the first turbines to be installed in federal waters. Ørsted has secured over 4,000 MW of additional capacity through six projects in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.