Residents of Ocean City, Maryland have made it clear, they do not want huge wind turbines obstructing their view and incentives will not change their minds.

Over a year ago, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved wind turbines to be located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, and the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has been reviewing those plans. But the town of Ocean City is creating a problem for the wind developer by requiring the turbines to be located at least 26 nautical miles offshore, about twice the distance planned, so that they cannot be seen by tourists that flock to the peninsula during the summer months. U.S. Wind, the developer, has offered the town incentives, including ‘free’ electricity, to get the town to renege on its stance but there is no agreement in sight.

Even the offer of other community investments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each year and an offer to alter its plans if Ocean City agreed to cover the costs of seeking new government approvals could not help U.S. Wind achieve agreement from Ocean City officials. Town officials fear that tourists will abandon Ocean City and flock to other beaches if its horizon is speckled with huge wind turbines. According to U.S. Wind, building that far offshore would require starting from scratch on an offshore leasing process that began in 2010.

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http://naturalgasnow.org/ocean-city-stands-firm-no-wind-turbines-on-our-horizon/