Maryland offshore wind energy bill may pass this session

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is optimistic that his latest effort to promote offshore wind energy in Maryland will succeed this session. Last month he told a supportive State House crowd that enough senators had signed onto his bill this time to get it through the chamber that's thwarted him the past two years. O'Malley said he had 24 senators as cosponsors, a bare majority but twice the number backing last year's effort. What's more, the governor said, six of his cosponsors are members of the Finance Committee, enough to break the logjam there that has stifled his legislation.