Maryland Energy administration announces $1.2 million in awards for FY23 offshore wind supply chain development grants

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) announces $1.2 million in grant awards to three businesses and training centers under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Maryland Offshore Wind Workforce Training Grant Program. The purpose of the programs is to establish an offshore wind supply chain in Maryland by helping workforce training centers offset the capital expenditures and operating costs associated with developing offshore wind training curriculum and conducting the associated training.

Governor Moore recognized the grant program’s importance and celebrated its success during a panel discussion with students and staff of Baltimore’s Jane Addams Resource (JARC). The governor acknowledged the results of their training would contribute to making Maryland the home for offshore wind power. 

“MEA’s Maryland Offshore Wind Workforce Training Program helps our state establish the industry education resources needed to create an offshore wind supply chain and workforce,” said Paul Pinsky, Director of MEA. These funds will ensure a skilled workforce can support the demand that the offshore wind industry will bring. 

Maryland, along with other east coast states, has collectively committed to procuring nearly 40,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity by 2040. A 2022 report by the Special Initiative for Offshore Wind at University of Delaware estimates that developing 30,000 MW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 presents a total revenue opportunity exceeding $100 billion for businesses in the offshore wind supply chain in the United States by 2030. 

The Maryland Public Service Commission has approved 2,022.5 MW of offshore wind capacity through Maryland’s Round 1 and 2 Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credit (OREC) Program. These projects will power nearly 600,000 average Maryland homes and create more than 12,000 direct full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs during the development and construction phase, and more than 3,000 direct FTE jobs during the 20 to 30 year operations and maintenance phase. 

These projects will support Maryland’s growing offshore wind supply chain and result in at least $1.5 billion of in-state expenditures including at least $325 million for small, minority, woman, and veteran owned businesses. Project developers have committed to investments of $40 million for port infrastructure, $76 million for steel fabrication, $150 million for monopile foundation manufacturing, $140 million for subsea cable manufacturing, and $100 million for turbine tower manufacturing. 

The awardees for FY 2023 include the following three organizations. A fourth award recipient was in the pending approval phase at the time of this release.