Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley
Citing the threat of global warming, Maryland governor Martin O’Malley
vetoed
legislation that would have stalled a major offshore wind project in his
state. O’Malley bucked the state’s leading Democrats by killing House
Bill 1168, which
forbade
the construction of the $200-million, 70-megawatt Great Bay Wind project
near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station until July 2015. In his May
16 veto letter to Speaker of the
House Michael Busch (D-Anne Arundel), O’Malley noted “the real threat to
Pax River is not an array of wind turbines on the lower Eastern Shore
but rising sea levels caused by climate change.”
After careful consideration, I am vetoing this bill because (1) there
are meaningful safeguards in place that render the bill unnecessary;
(2) the real threat to Pax River is not an array of wind turbines on
the lower Eastern Shore but rising sea levels caused by climate
change; and (3) increasing renewable energy is a core strategic goal
for the future security and prosperity of our State.
Rep. Steny Hoyer, the U.S. House of Representatives Minority Whip, is a
vigorous opponent of the wind farm, testifying in Annapolis against its
potential threat to the naval base, although the project developer and
U.S. Navy had come to an agreement to alleviate the Navy’s concerns
about possible radar interference from the turbines. Hoyer was joined by
Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, as well as Rep. Dutch
Ruppersberger in counseling delay. Cardin was one of the recent
participants in the
#Up4Climate
all-night talkathon, during which he
discussed the threat of
sea level rise to Pax River and the need for investment in renewable
energy.
O’Malley’s letter reiterated the importance of
fighting
the carbon pollution which is already damaging Maryland with investment
in clean energy.
Ironically, the greater inconvenient truth threatening Pax River — and
the billions of dollars of economic activity generated by that
facility — is climate change. To address that threat, we must
encourage the development of clean renewable energy. Reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by shifting to clean energy will not always
be easy or convenient in the short run, and it will challenge all of
us to find new ways to coexist, but it is critical to sustaining the
economy and living environment of our State.
He also noted the National Climate
Assessment:
The recent release of the Third National Climate Assessment highlights
the costs climate change is already imposing on Maryland and
underscores the importance of doing everything we can to reduce the
damage it will cause in the future. Our State in general, and Pax
River in particular, are vulnerable to the very type of carbon
pollution that renewable energy projects help reduce.
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Environment Maryland, and the
Sierra Club mobilized thousands of activists to support the wind
project.
Wind farm opponents have
pledged
to keep fighting against the project.