An Analysis of the Economic Impact of the Proposed 1,200MW Expansion of Maryland’s Offshore Wind Program
Expanding offshore wind energy in Maryland would create $3.6 billion in new economic activity in Maryland and support more than 25,000 local jobs if the General Assembly and Hogan administration enact the Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2019 (House Bill 1158).
That is one finding in a new report commissioned by the BlueGreen Alliance, a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations. The report, conducted for the Alliance by Sage Policy Group in Baltimore, found that expanding Maryland’s goals for offshore wind would yield broad economic benefits from Ocean City to central Maryland.
The Clean Energy Jobs Act proposes to increase the amount of offshore wind energy generated in Maryland to 1,568 megawatts from the current 368 megawatts by 2030.
Study Findings:
- Construction associated with developing 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind energy in Maryland will support an estimated 25,000 jobs (where a job is defined as one position lasting for one year), $1.5 billion in associated labor and proprietor income, and $3.6 billion in economic activity.
- Once construction of the additional 1,200 megawatts authorized is complete, operation and maintenance of the facilities will support approximately 1,500 jobs and more than $100 million in labor income annually. State and local tax revenues will be enhanced by nearly $23 million and $13 million annually, respectively, according to the study.
- Jobs supported by offshore wind projects typically include skilled positions in manufacturing, construction, installation, operations, and maintenance. The BlueGreen Alliance study finds that the average annual income per worker approaches $60,000 during construction and $70,000 during operations.