With the Trump administration’s attacks on sustainable strategies— such as withdrawing $679 million in offshore wind project funding across the country, including in Maryland— local leaders are fighting against policies detrimental to the environment and encouraging work toward a greener future.
Elected officials and labor leaders convened at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 24 in Baltimore on Oct. 31 to speak out against the attempt to dismantle the U.S. Offshore Wind Project in Maryland, which lost a $47 million grant at the hands of the current administration.
“We cannot let that happen because offshore wind is a vital part of making sure that we address some major priorities in the United States of America,” said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) during the press conference.
The day of action marked the first of many “Say Yes to Wind” events that are planned to take place nationwide this fall.
As a reliable and naturally occurring energy source, offshore wind power mitigates demand on the energy grid, in turn stabilizing access to electricity and contributing to lower utility costs for consumers, while also remaining more suitable for the environment than the burning of fossil fuels by power plants to generate electricity.
“[When] we move toward renewable energy, we’re not only bringing down costs and creating more jobs,” Van Hollen continued, “but we’re also helping protect our health and our environment.”
From Sea Winds to Home Energy
Offshore wind power is the energy taken from the forceful winds at sea, which are transformed into electricity by wind turbines and are usually erected in clusters, forming wind farms.
Placing these groups of turbines out at sea is effective in generating power since the lack of obstacles at sea versus on land allows for higher wind speeds, leading to the production of more energy by the turbines.
The blades on these modern-day windmills turn as wind gusts hit them, creating kinetic energy. As the blades rotate, a generator in the turbine’s nacelle– the large housing on top of the tower– converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy, which is then passed through a transformer so it can join the National Grid transmission network and be made accessible as electricity to homes and businesses.
“In Maryland and all up and down the East Coast, we are going to continue to build offshore wind because it is the key to having enough energy in the state, to having stable energy…, to having energy independence,” said Maryland Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-District 20).
Maryland’s Offshore Wind Project and Construction Plan (COP) describes the installation of 114 wind turbines, four offshore substations to transform and transmit the energy produced by the turbines, a meteorological tower and up to four offshore cables with subsea transmission cables leading to Sussex County, Delaware.
The project has the potential to generate 2 gigawatts of renewable energy that could power more than 718,000 homes. According to the American Clean Power Association (ACP), a typical 2-megawatt turbine can avoid 4,000 to 4,500 tons of carbon emissions, which equate to the emissions of about 700 cars.
This mitigation of harmful energy generation could help reduce the negative effects of the increased construction of AI data centers across the country, which have also contributed to higher energy demand and utility costs.
“We are engaged in an AI race with the rest of the world,” Charkoudian said. “So, if we’ve accepted that we need to have data centers in this country,… then we have to be willing to respond to the increase in load with clean energy, with affordable energy, with renewable energy.”
Aside from the environmental benefits that would come with the completion of this project, advocates note it promotes economic advancement, as it could support nearly 2,680 jobs annually over the course of seven years.
“Offshore wind isn’t just about energy for us on the Eastern Shore,” said Jared Schablein, chair of the advocacy group Shore Progress. “It’s about dignity, and it’s about giving working shore families a chance for the first time in a very long time.”
Investing in Maryland’s Coastal Future
Schablein was born and raised on the Eastern Shore, a region that his family has lived in since 1664.
Over the years, he has witnessed the region suffer from poverty that has caused many to leave the area in search of better opportunities.
“I’ve seen my region through tough times,” Schablein said. “My whole life we’ve struggled through poverty, a lack of opportunity and jobs that don’t pay enough to raise a family, barely enough to live.”
The Eastern Shore has historically been a vulnerable part of Maryland, due to its proximity to the sea and susceptibility to damage from natural storms and disasters.
According to the Delmarva Index, 11.3% of the region’s population lives below the poverty line, and seven Eastern Shore counties exceed the statewide poverty rate of 9.3%.
“[That’s] why I wanted the loudest supporters for offshore wind, because it was one of the greatest opportunities to come to the Eastern Shore in my lifetime. Hell, probably even in my parents’ lifetime,” Schablein said. “And I’m not alone.”
A Jan. 2025 poll sponsored by Shore Progress found that 51% of Eastern Shore residents were in favor of the Delmarva Peninsula’s offshore wind project, with 37% in opposition and 12% not giving an opinion.
The project would benefit the area past sustainability goals, lower utility prices and job opportunities. It would also require the reconstruction and extension of West Ocean City’s deteriorated, 45-year-old commercial pier, which would also be upgraded with a concrete deck, a jib crane and a wave screen.
This initiative would also benefit the region’s commercial fishing community, as the project would establish a $20 million Fishing Community Resilience Fund, with $13.5 million reserved for Maryland. This fund would cover 30 years of harbor maintenance and would support the fishing industry’s development and prosperity.
Schablein hopes this project succeeds and ensures that future generations of Eastern Shore residents won’t have to relocate for better opportunities.
“This isn’t just about wind turbines,” he explained. “This is about giving hope to a community that hasn’t had hope in so long, to have an opportunity to rise above poverty and make something out of our lives.”