Md. Governor Unveils “Game-Changing” Offshore Wind Bill

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley unveiled his Offshore Wind Energy Act Friday in Annapolis, and at first glance, some are calling the bill a "game changer."

Enviornmentalists, including Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, are praising O'Malley, saying he lived up to his promise to submit a bill that would put Maryland at the forefront in the countrys race to go green.

"You have a law that basically asks the Public Service Commission to accurately weigh the true cost of oil and other fossil fuels in terms of new electricity generation and clean, offshore wind power," Tidwell said. "That's new -- no state has done that before."

Tidwell said the bill would require utility companies to enter into power-purchasing agreements with offshore wind developers, locking in the price for the next 20 years, even though critics say offshore wind would add a little more than $1 to monthly electric bills.

The offshore wind farm in Maryland would be 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City and could be operational by 2016.

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