Here we go again. In a lazy editorial slamming Maryland’s offshore wind bill (if you’re counting, this makes three), the Post’s editorial board calls the plan “bad policy,” yet offers no rational argument for its position.

The thin editorial goes on to suggest that Maryland legislators’ time would be better spent discussing how to “fix” the state’s renewable portfolio standard, considering the importance of natural gas, nuclear, and clean coal in its renewable mix, rather than mandating that electricity suppliers purchase power from the state’s own offshore wind farm.

The truth is that almost two-thirds of Marylanders want homegrown offshore wind, even if it raises their electricity bills by $2 a month. And after Monday’s passage by a House committee, Maryland’s offshore wind plan knocked the electric bill increase cap down to $1.50, making this plan even more affordable and feasible for consumers. Ignoring these facts makes the Post’s latest attack  read like something drafted by the Koch brothers. 

The Post neglected to mention that Maryland business support this bill, too. A wind farm off the coast of Maryland would revive the state’s manufacturing sector, creating jobs in a vast supply chain that could be a hub for the entire mid-Atlantic. The Maryland Business Coalition for Offshore Wind convened a large group of small and minority owned businesses on Wednesday for a productive discussion on how they can prepare their businesses for the new opportunities presented by offshore wind. The response was overwhelming, and a second, larger forum is in the works.

Maryland businesses are ready. Why isn’t the Post?

The Post can crow about “bad policy” all it wants. But it’s plain bad journalism to ignore the opportunity of a new - and inevitable - industry that will create jobs and leave a cleaner, more livable world for future generations. Offshore wind is happening, whether the Post likes it or not. It’s a shame they don’t want Maryland to be at the forefront.