House Republicans Applaud Trump Administration’s Plan to Revoke Federal Permit for Ocean City Offshore Wind Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 26, 2025

Contact:            Carrie Simons-Sparrow, Chief of Staff

                             carrie.sparrow@mga.maryland.gov

House Republicans Applaud Trump Administration’s Plan to Revoke Federal Permit for Ocean City Offshore Wind Project

Annapolis, MD – House Republicans today applauded the Trump Administration’s plan to revoke the federal permit issued for the construction of an offshore wind farm just ten miles off the coast of Ocean City. The Ocean City government, businesses, and residents have hotly contested this project. 

“It is time for Maryland to stop wasting taxpayer and ratepayer money on this bad idea that was never going to come to fruition,” said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel. “This project has been doomed from the start. Offshore wind energy is incredibly expensive, environmentally damaging to fragile ecosystems, and would have considerable negative impacts on the Ocean City community. This project and the whole green energy pipe dream of offshore wind in Maryland is, with any luck, finally dead.”

“Hopefully, this is the last page in a very challenging chapter of our community’s history,” said Delegate Wayne Hartman, the Chief Deputy Minority Whip who represents Ocean City and has been actively involved in this issue since he served on the Ocean City Council. “This project has gone full steam ahead with no regard for the impact it will have on our community. This project threatened our tourism economy, our real estate values, and our commercial fishing industry. It threatened our marine life as a whole and specifically our horseshoe crab population, which is vital to the medical field. This project was even a threat to our national security. We have been fortunate to have the support of Congressman Harris along the way, and it is a relief to finally have a federal administration that is listening.”

House Republicans have long opposed this project and have, at every opportunity, fought against ratepayer subsidies for offshore wind. In 2023, the Caucus asked the federal delegation to request a moratorium on the development of offshore wind projects on the entire east coast of the United States until the Government Accountability Office investigated the environmental effects of offshore wind development and cautioned against the industrialization of our oceans.

“We appreciate that President Trump has recognized the myriad of concerns that offshore wind poses,” said House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy. “It is refreshing to have federal partners who share our concerns and are not beholden to the green energy cabal.”

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