The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is launching two offshore wind grants for the 2020 fiscal year, with combined funds of USD 2.8 million.
The Maryland Offshore Wind Capex program, with allotted funds of USD 1.6 million, provides grant funding to help defray capital expenditure investments for Maryland’s emerging businesses entering the offshore wind industry.
Capital expenditures that may be offset by grant funds include renovations and improvements to real property or the purchase and installation of equipment necessary for providing goods and services to the offshore wind industry.
The second grant includes the Maryland Offshore Wind Workforce Training Program, with allotted funds of USD 1.2 million, which provides funding to support the local workforce entering the offshore wind industry.
Both new and existing workforce development training centers focused on the offshore wind industry can apply.
Applicants must provide an outreach plan to prospective students from historically under-served communities and should demonstrate how project proposals will benefit Maryland’s emerging businesses, including minority-owned businesses.
The deadline for submitting applications for the grants is 1 October at 11:59 PM EST.
In April, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) which will incentivize the development of 1.2GW of additional offshore wind capacity off the state’s coast by 2030.
To remind, Maryland approved two offshore wind projects in 2017 through the process established in current law, US Wind’s 270MW MarWin project and Deepwater Wind’s, now part of Ørsted , 120MW Skipjack project.