{"id":309563,"date":"2024-03-17T11:43:50","date_gmt":"2024-03-17T10:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=309563"},"modified":"2024-03-17T11:43:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-17T10:43:52","slug":"offshore-wind-bribe-falls-short","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=309563","title":{"rendered":"Offshore Wind Bribe Falls Short"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Master Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Robert Bradley Jr.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cRespectfully, the future of the Town of Ocean City cannot be bought [by offshore wind interests] and we intend to continue to do what is necessary to protect the interests of our residents, property owners and future generations.\u201d \u2013 Mayor Rick Meehan, Ocean City, Maryland<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The $2 million bribe was turned down\u2013flatly, by the mayor of Ocean City, Rick Meehan. This \u201copportunity\u201d spread out over 20 years came with this request from US Wind: \u201clocal government officials\u2026 [refraining] from making any negative comments or objections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the story reported<\/a> in UtilityDive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIn December 2023, I received an email from Jeff Grybowski, Chief Executive Officer for US Wind, offering Ocean City the same opportunity that has been extended to the Delaware Beach Towns,\u201d [Ocean City Mayor] Meehan said. \u201cMy response was, \u2018Respectfully the future of the Town of Ocean City cannot be bought and we intend to continue to do what is necessary to protect the interests of our residents, property owners and future generations.\u2019\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The story continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Meehan said he found the idea \u201cunconscionable.\u201d \u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That leaves US Wind as the only company currently developing a wind project offshore near Ocean City, and the town\u2019s only opponent in its \u201cbattle of the proposed construction of wind turbines off our coast,\u201d according to Ocean City\u2019s official website.<\/a> \u201cAs of January 2024, The Town of Ocean City does not support any turbines built off our coast,\u201d a release from the town said. \u201cAs of January 2024, US Wind is the only company with proposed plans to build turbines off the coast of Ocean City.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ever the crony, US Wind tried to paint a happy face on the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Nancy Sopko, US Wind\u2019s senior director of external affairs, said in an email that while Ocean City chose not to discuss a community benefit agreement, the company wants to continue to work with the city as \u201cgood neighbors.\u201d \u2026 \u201cAs a member of this community, we believe it\u2019s important to do what we can to help it thrive,\u201d Sopko said. However, she added, \u201cOcean City\u2019s position on community benefits has no impact on our project plans.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Final Comment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nancy Sopko is quoted at the end of the story: \u201cWe\u2019re very confident that we will build Maryland\u2019s first offshore wind farm and deliver clean energy to the people of Delmarva for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nope. Real environmentalists are standing up, knowing also that the electricity rate increases from offshore wind will be substantial, even after U.S. taxpayers get soaked via the U.S. Department of Energy grants and the Production Tax Credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The $2 million bribe was turned down\u2013flatly, by the mayor of Ocean City, Rick Meehan. This \u201copportunity\u201d spread out over 20 years came with this request from US Wind: \u201clocal government officials\u2026 [refraining] from making any negative comments or objections.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":309565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"The $2 million bribe was turned down\u2013flatly, by the mayor of Ocean City, Rick Meehan. This \u201copportunity\u201d spread out over 20 years came with this request from US Wind: \u201clocal government officials\u2026 [refraining] from making any negative comments or objection","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691823827,691827652,691827653],"class_list":{"0":"post-309563","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-maryland","9":"tag-ocean-city","10":"tag-us-wind","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1067200.jpg?fit=1920%2C1440&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1iwX","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":340326,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=340326","url_meta":{"origin":309563,"position":0},"title":"U.S. Offshore Wind: The Struggle Continues","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"22\/08\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This post updates the financial troubles of Denmark\u2019s \u00d8rsted, recent BOEM auctions, and pushback against Maryland governor Wes Moore. 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Popper, professor emeritus, University of Maryland\u2019s Department of Biology, a specialist in the ecological impacts of underwater sound.","rel":"","context":"In \"Emily Nunez\"","block_context":{"text":"Emily Nunez","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=emily-nunez"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/zScreenshot-2023-11-03-111148-1024x611-3.webp?fit=1024%2C611&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/zScreenshot-2023-11-03-111148-1024x611-3.webp?fit=1024%2C611&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/zScreenshot-2023-11-03-111148-1024x611-3.webp?fit=1024%2C611&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/zScreenshot-2023-11-03-111148-1024x611-3.webp?fit=1024%2C611&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":364216,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=364216","url_meta":{"origin":309563,"position":3},"title":"MEDIA ADVISORY: Offshore wind projects imperiled by Trump\u2019s executive orders","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/02\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A group of public interest groups trying to save endangered whales and other marine life in the Atlantic Ocean from the harms of massive wind projects predict that President Trump\u2019s current and future executive orders could imperil many projects already underway.","rel":"","context":"In \"endangered whales\"","block_context":{"text":"endangered whales","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=endangered-whales"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Offshore-wind-rocks.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Offshore-wind-rocks.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Offshore-wind-rocks.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Offshore-wind-rocks.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0Offshore-wind-rocks.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":279336,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=279336","url_meta":{"origin":309563,"position":4},"title":"Whale-Sized Revolt: Fishermen Slam Biden\u2019s Offshore Wind Power\u00a0Disaster","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"18\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The wind industry is determined to destroy the marine environment along the Atlantic coast; its fishermen are even more determined to stop them. 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