ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Republican lawmakers in Maryland, including State Senator Mary Beth Carozza, have formally requested an explanation from Attorney General Anthony Brown as to why his office became involved with ongoing litigation over a proposed wind project off the coast of Ocean City.
As WBOC previously reported, Attorney General Brown’s office filed an amicus curiae brief in October urging a federal judge to prevent the Trump Administration from reversing approval of the offshore US Wind project. Now, Carozza, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, and Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready are demanding answers.
In a letter to Brown's office dated Nov. 13, the Republicans asked the Attorney General to justify the use of public funds to defend the US Wind project, detail the costs of the legal involvement, and provide any analysis the DOJ conducted of the potential impact of the offshore project.
US Wind is a subsidiary of Renexia, an Italian-based company specializing in renewable energy projects. In their letter, Carozza, who represents Worcester County, and fellow Republicans also question why Attorney General Brown would spend public resources on defending a foreign-owned company.
“At a time when families and businesses across Maryland are struggling with the rising cost of living, it is unconscionable that the Attorney General’s office would spend public funds to defend a foreign owned wind developer—particularly one that stands to benefit from billions in state subsidies paid for by Maryland ratepayers,” the letter reads.
The letter to Brown concludes with the lawmakers urging an end to Maryland’s participation in the ongoing lawsuit.
In a letter dated Nov. 14, Brown provided his response, saying that the reasons for Maryland’s involvement were included in the amicus curiae brief when it was filed on Oct. 29.
“The brief details Maryland's substantial economic, energy security, and environmental interests in the US Wind project, including over $6 billion in projected economic benefits, 1,710 megawatts of electricity generation capacity, and the projected addition of more than 13,000 instate jobs over the project’s lifetime,” Brown’s response reads.
The Attorney General goes on to say no filing fees were incurred in sending the amicus brief.
On Monday, Carozza and the Senate Republican leaders publicly railed against the response, calling it “evasive and unacceptable” and accused Brown of dodging their questions.
“It’s unacceptable that the Attorney General is devoting public resources to defend a foreign-owned wind developer while ignoring the disastrous impacts these projects pose to Maryland’s Coast,” Senator Carozza said in a statement. “Industrializing our ocean threatens coastal tourism, commercial fishing, and the livelihoods of families who depend on both. His weak, non-response is an insult to the communities that will bear the economic consequences.”
Federal Judge Stephanie Gallagher has yet to weigh in on granting an injunction against the Trump Administration that would prevent the federal government from reversing a Biden-era approval of the US Wind project.