Serious discussions and negotiations have taken place on the possibility of building windmills on the coasts of the states of Delaware and Maryland. During the warmer months of the year, this tourist area has a population of nearly 500,000 people and efforts in Ocean City, MD, through conventions and festivals, have made it a nearly year-round destination.
With these large crowds comes the need for a lot of electrical power and the question of how to supply it. Recent attempts to build windmills atop some of the western Maryland mountains failed primarily because the massive structures would be an eyesore for today’s beautiful views.
The windmills being contemplated for ocean waters would be nearly 25 stories high. They are likely located at least 3 miles offshore where federal waters begin, but are more likely closer than 12 miles offshore to keep them out of sight. The trade-off would be a higher cost for the additional cabling required to travel the additional distance offshore, however this would have minimal impact on the main reason people flock to this region, which is of course the sand, the waves and the sun.
The governors of Maryland and Delaware support the idea, as do the government representatives of Ocean City, as long as the windmills are out of sight. However, the environment and how these structures might impact ocean wildlife must also be considered. There is practical knowledge about the potential impact, because windmills have been used off the coasts of England and Belgium for several years without significant impact on the environment.
With an abundant, free supply of wind that shouldn’t affect industry or property values, it sounds like a winning scenario for many people. And who knows, maybe these giant fans could be turned into reverse to blow hurricanes off shore or increase the size of the waves to allow for great surfing opportunities. . . or not.
