Council OKs $175K wind turbine study

By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer

(July 21, 2023) Ocean City Council members are holding strong on their stance against visible wind turbines off the coast of the resort.

So much, that they agreed this week to spend $175,000 on an environmental consultant to take a deep dive into impending project plans and impact statements.

“There’s no amount of money that I wouldn’t approve not to see wind farms in Ocean City,” Councilman Tony DeLuca said before making his motion at a meeting Monday to hire SLR International to review US

Wind’s Construction and Operations Plan for turbines off the coast, and prepare comments in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Draft Environmental Assessment.

After some discussion, which included explanations of why the consultant is necessary and reiterations of city officials’ objection to the proposed project, council members voted unanimously to approve the contract.

City Manager Terry McGean said the bureau, which is responsible for approving offshore facilities in federal waters, is reviewing US Wind’s plan to construct up to 125 wind turbines as close as 13 miles off the coast of Ocean City. The turbines, which city officials have not been shy

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