New Training Program to Support Maryland’s Offshore Wind Market

The Business Network for Offshore Wind today launched its signature Foundation 2 Blade (FTB) training course for Maryland-based companies in partnership with the Maryland Energy Administration. The Maryland F2B training program will help Maryland-based businesses expand into the growing offshore wind industry and ensure they have the tools and information they need to capitalize on the expanding market.  The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) provided a grant to ensure Maryland businesses can participate in this valuable training program at a greatly reduced cost.   

The offshore wind energy industry is one of the fastest growing renewable energies in the U.S. and globally. As an industry in its infancy in the U.S., it will require companies currently in industries from steel manufacturing, boating and transportation, and aerospace to civil engineering, and composites to diversify into offshore wind. This diversification will create a local supply chain that can meet the growing demand and project pipeline along the East, West, and Gulf Coasts.  

“Foundation 2 Blade (F2B) will bolster competitiveness by ensuring that Maryland regional companies are aware of opportunities in the offshore wind shore wind supply chain. Offshore wind has the potential to foster massive investment in Maryland and invigorate a number of community supporting industries. MEA’s partnership with the Business Network helps leverage their deep understanding of the offshroe wind business community,” said Dr. Mary Beth Tung Ph.D. Esq. Director of the MEA.

“Maryland is moving boldly into offshore wind development and that is already creating a new demand for local services and suppliers,” said Liz Burdock, president and CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, a non-profit focused on developing offshore wind renewable energy in the U.S. “The Foundation 2 Blade training program will help Maryland companies find out exactly how they fit and can diversify into the offshore wind supply chain. Building out a local supply chain is instrumental for the industry’s growth, but Maryland companies need to position themselves today to take advantage of this rare opportunity.”

Foundation 2 Blade is an extensive training program created to help companies identify where they fit into the growing offshore wind supply chain and create more opportunities to capitalize on prospective leads. F2B’s training course features six modules that demystify the supply chain, spur innovation, and present a market entry path for a company. F2B industry training programs will be held in person over three days. The first Maryland F2B training program will take place October 6 – 8 in the Baltimore area. Since premiering the training in late 2020, the Business Network has successfully delivered F2B trainings to over 60 local businesses across the country.

“The Foundation 2 Blade program will help secure the economic benefits these offshore wind projects promised to the people of Maryland,” said Jason M. Stanek, Chairman of the Public Service Commission. “Offshore wind is a tremendous opportunity for Maryland businesses and this program can help provide a path for businesses seeking to enter a new and rapidly growing global industry.”  

Offshore wind’s expansion in Maryland and across the Eastern seaboard is creating new opportunities for local businesses. The Maryland Public Service Commission is currently reviewing solicitation bids for up to 1,200 MW of offshore wind power generation after authorizing renewable energy credits for 368 MW in 2017. The two previously awarded projects are expected to create 4,977 local jobs, and the second solicitation round is expected to create thousands more. Maryland’s growing offshore wind commitments mirror regional and national trends as more and more states are looking to this renewable energy source for their clean power goals, creating more new markets for local businesses to enter the supply chain.