Oceantic Network concluded the Maryland Offshore Wind Forum today, by announcing the first cohort of companies, comprised of nine Maryland businesses, selected to participate in the Maryland Offshore Wind Market Entry Coaching program.
The Market Entry Coaching program is a new initiative, sponsored by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), created to help Maryland-based businesses, particularly minority or women-owned businesses (MBEs/WBEs), enter or expand their work in the U.S. offshore wind industry as well as other related ocean renewables industries. Selected companies (full list below) will receive customized consulting services to develop a market entry strategy or business plan. The Network is working with Pelergy, an onshore and offshore wind energy business and innovation firm specializing in strategic approaches to project development and operations, to deliver consulting services. The following nine organizations were selected as the first cohort, with the following MBEs/WBEs italicized:
“For over a decade, the vision of offering companies access to offshore wind global market experts has been close to my heart, and seeing it come to fruition is nothing short of exhilarating,” said Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of Oceantic Network. “The Maryland Offshore Wind Market Entry Coaching initiative, generously supported by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) empowers Maryland-based businesses— especially small businesses—by providing them with a market expert to develop a business plan tailored to both domestic and international offshore wind markets. This is a competitive advantage companies in other states do not have and prepares Maryland businesses for success.”
Also at the Forum, attendees discussed a new bill recently introduced to Maryland’s legislature (HB 1296) to bolster the state’s offshore wind industry. Among other provisions, the bill would require the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to open an expedited offshore wind renewable energy credit proceeding for revised bids on June 1. It also requires the state to develop a plan for achieving a total of 8.5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2031 and submit it to the General Assembly by January 1, 2025.
Over 100 stakeholders attended the conference including representatives from offshore wind developers such as Equinor, RWE, Orsted, and US Wind; supply chain companies such as Arcon Welding, Crystal Steel and Strum Contracting; Government agencies including the US Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management, Maryland Public Service Commission, Maryland Department of Labor, Governor’s Office of Small, Minority & Business Affairs, and Baltimore County’s Office of Economic Development; labor unions, and environmental advocates.
