Download Maryland 36%

Renewable
7%
Coal
58%
Nuclear
31%
Current energy Mix
Maryland
Wind potential
36%
Renewable
7%
Natural Gas
In addition to the environmental benefits
4% overOil
traditional energy sources, like coal, oil, natural
1%
gas and nuclear power, a significant amount
of offshore wind energy potential exists on the
Atlantic coast. If developed even modestly,
offshore wind energy could supply almost half
of the East Coast’s current electricity generation
– while creating thousands of jobs, stabilizing
electric costs, cutting fossil fuel consumption and
reducing harmful air emissions. The prospects of
offshore wind power are too large to ignore, even
at this early stage of the industry’s development.
Offshore Wind potential
Of Maryland’s
electricity generation
Coal
58%
Nuclear
31%
Natural Gas
4%
Oil
1%
Renewable
3%
Nuclear
Coal
15%
30%
annual electricity fuel Costs
Coal
$631.3 Million
Natural Gas
$182.1 Million
Petroleum
$126.2 Million
Nuclear
$69.7 Million
Average Residential
Cost per kWh
13.8¢
Average Offshore Wind
Cost per kWh
12.2¢
Maryland’s coastline would modestly allow for the development of 4.7 gigawatts of offshore wind power in economically
recoverable areas. This offshore wind power could generate at least 36 percent of Maryland’s current electricity generation,
displace about 23.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and power approximately 1.6 million average homes annually.
n Offshore wind power could supply 36 percent of Maryland’s electricity – an
amount equivalent to oil and natural gas-based
Petro
Renewable
6% 3%
electricity, as well as 54% of coal-based power.
Nuclear
n Maryland spends the fifth-most on the east coast
for oil for
electricity
generation.
Natural
Gas
Coal
30%
n More than $900 million are spent annually on fossil fuels for electricity generation in Maryland annually.126
47%
15%
Offshore Wind potential
Offshore Wind as percent of
electric generation
4.7 GW
36%
Carbon dioxide displaced
Petro
6%
12.3 million metric tons
Gasthan 30 meters deep.
Note: Wind potential considers only one third of waters between 3 and 24 nauticalNatural
miles and less
47%
electricity generation in Maryland relies heavily on fossil fuels
Maryland’s electricity generation created 29.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2008. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas
that can cause climate change and ocean acidification. Burning fossil fuels, like coal, oil and natural gas causes climate change and
ocean acidification. Nearly 62% of Maryland’s electricity comes from fossil-fuels.127
Offshore Wind offers thousands of Jobs and billions of dollars for Maryland
The United Kingdom expects to create between 1 and 1.7 full-time equivalent jobs for each megawatt of offshore wind power
installed.128 If only 4.7 gigawatts of offshore wind farms are installed off Maryland’s coast, approximately 4,900 to 7,800 permanent
jobs could be created in Maryland. This amount of offshore wind energy would represent $11.3 billion in clean energy investments
in Maryland.
www.oceana.org
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