The Power of Wind

Two wind farms off the coast of Ocean City could be supplying electricity for tens of thousands of Maryland homes in a few years, now that Maryland regulators have OK’d a subsidy through a charge on utility customers’ bills. The projects are required to make big investments in steel fabrication and upgrading the former Sparrows Point shipyard. Advocates predict wind power will create thousands of jobs here, especially if Maryland moves faster than other east-coast states to build an offshore-wind industry. We’ll discuss the prospects with Paul Rich, director of project development for U.S. Wind, and Liz Burdock, executive director of the Business Network for Offshore Wind.