FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 16, 2014
Contact: Josh Tulkin, Sierra Club 650-722-3171 md-josh@
Governor O’Malley Protects Onshore Wind Future for Maryland
Vetoes Bill that Could Have Killed Clean Energy Future
Annapolis, MD -- Today, Governor O’Malley announced he will veto HB 1168, a bill which would have unnecessarily delayed, and possibly killed, the Great Bay Wind Project. Sierra Club Maryland Director Josh Tulkin made this statement.
In response to Governor O’Malley’s veto of HB 1160, Josh Tulkin, Director of the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
Today, Governor O’Malley took a brave and bold step in vetoing HB1168, the anti-wind-power bill that would have killed the Great Bay Wind Project. This project will be an inspiring step in Maryland's path towards clean energy. When complete, the project will generate $200 million for Somerset County, the poorest in the state, and create more than 750 jobs, 500 of which will be in Somerset.
By vetoing HB1168, Governor O’Malley has continued to put Maryland in the forefront of the nation in moving toward sustainable energy and green jobs, and has cemented his legacy as the most forward-looking governor in the country in this regard. Governor O’Malley has done what is best for the citizens of Maryland and the planet. We thank him for his courage and his foresight.
Governor O’Malley clearly realized that HB1168 was both overly prescriptive and unnecessary. The Navy has had and will have the opportunity to continue to work with Great Bay to come to an agreement that is acceptable for both the Navy, its employees and contractors, and Great Bay Wind. We need to trust in the system.
Not only would the bill have stopped the Great Bay Wind Project in its tracks, it would have chilled the creation of other sustainable businesses in Maryland as well. We need to be sending a message that Maryland is open for clean energy businesses, not scaring them away or changing the rules on them mid-stream.
We applaud this bold move and look forward to supporting this process, and making this project a reality.