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Maryland's First Wind Farm May Be First Of Many

April 9, 2010
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Wind farms such as this one are expected to sprout up in and off the coasts of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware within the next decade.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pikerslanefarm/
Wind farms such as this one are expected to sprout up in and off the coasts of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware within the next decade.

By Sabri Ben-Achour

Constellation Energy says that by the end of the year, 28 wind turbines will be up and running in Garrett County, in the Eastern Panhandle section of Maryland. The power generated by the wind farm will be enough to power 23,000 homes.

"You're gonna see more projects in Roanoke county in Virginia, and a lot of offshore development in coming years," says Mike Tidwell, with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

According to Tidwell, wind farms will proliferate across the region.

Power from wind is especially viable in Virginia for several reasons. First there's plenty of it, and a shallow continental shelf makes capturing ocean breezes economical.

Also, turbines can be located near a major metropolitan grid, connecting millions of customers from Boston to Richmond.

There's legal pressure too. Laws in Maryland and D.C. require that within a decade, 20 percent of their electricity be renewable. Tidwell predicts we may surpass even that.

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