Caesar Rodney Institute continues misinformation campaign

In a July 29 letter to the editor, David Stevenson of the Caesar Rodney Institute continued his misinformation campaign against offshore wind, in this case attacking the job creation benefits associated with US Wind’s MarWin and Momentum Wind projects. 

Stevenson cites a consultant’s report prepared for the Maryland Public Service Commission (Docket 9666, Item 33), stating that Exhibit 59 shows that only 68 operations and maintenance jobs will be created. That’s correct, but it’s not the only area where US Wind will be creating jobs, and Stevenson knows that. He completely ignores Exhibit 56 of that same report, where the consultant asserts that US Wind’s Momentum project will create another 3,944 direct jobs, including 600 permanent steelworker jobs building monopile foundations at Sparrow’s Point Steel (the rebirth of Bethlehem Steel through offshore wind). Stevenson also ignores the consultant’s report prepared for the Maryland PSC for US Wind’s MarWin project (Docket 9431, Item 85, p. 91) where they credit US Wind with another 3,580 direct jobs that will be created. US Wind has also stated publicly that it will invest hundreds of millions to strengthen the grid in Sussex County. Much of that work will be done by local IBEW members who today often have to travel out of state for work. 

Stevenson also suggests that the higher cost of offshore wind energy will cause job loss. Stevenson and Caesar Rodney have twisted numbers around to confuse people about the true cost of offshore wind energy. Let’s be clear, Exhibit 55 of the consultant’s report (Docket 9666, Item 33) shows that US Wind’s Momentum Wind project will cost the average Maryland ratepayer all of $0.76 per month. Is $0.76 per month going to cause an employer to cut a job or not hire someone new? Of course not.

Finally, Stevenson hypothesizes that the offshore wind farm will negatively impact commercial fishing and tourism. US Wind has stated that their lease area will remain open to commercial and recreational fishing and to all types of gear. Publicly available government and third-party data shows that most local commercial fishing occurs outside of the US Wind lease area. Most of the commercial fishing that does occur in the lease area uses stationary “fixed gear,” which should not be complicated by the presence of turbines that are roughly a mile apart. With regard to tourism, the only study of actual results showed that occupancy rates, nightly rates and overall revenues increased in Block Island after their wind farm was installed just three miles offshore.

Offshore wind will be a major driver of job growth, primarily by bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Meanwhile, transitioning to renewable energies at scale will give us a chance to protect our peninsula from overwhelming floods in the second half of this century, while providing cleaner, healthier air and reducing our dependence on geopolitically questionable foreign oil.