ANNAPOLIS – Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s wind power proposal passed the House Friday morning, moving a bill that was dead one year ago along to the Senate floor.
The trimmed-down wind power bill, which would charge a fee to utility ratepayers to help fund the development of a wind farm off the coast of Ocean City, passed the delegates’ chamber 88-47.
Maryland households would pay $1.50 for the next 20 years on their monthly utility bills, while businesses would pay 1.5 percent of their electric bill.
The fee is expected to draw $88 million for the wind farm’s development. Lawmakers say more federal subsidies are necessary to complete the dozens of turbines proposed.
