Posted on June 5, 2024
A public information session will be held this week to inform community members of US Wind’s progress with its offshore wind projects off the Delmarva coast.
The session will be focused on impacts the projects will have on Delaware’s shores, specifically the impacts of cables that will require potential dredging of Delaware’s wetlands and interconnection to the Indian River Power Plant substation.
The session will be held on Wednesday, June 5, at 4 p.m. at Beacon Middle School in Lewes at 19483 John J. Williams Highway.
There will be more public meetings and chances to comment on the project in the future.
Here’s what to know.
What is the project being discussed?
Energy company US Wind controls the rights to an area of the ocean located off the Delmarva coast adding up to around 80,000 acres. In late 2023, Gov. John Carney and US Wind began informal negotiations about using Delaware’s shore to support Delmarva wind projects.
Its plans are to use this space for at least two offshore wind projects to power nearby coastal towns: MarWin and Momentum Wind. Combined, the projects would add up to 121 individual turbines, ranging from around 15 to 26 miles off Delaware’s shores.
Part of the plans include attaching a cable to the existing Delmarva Indian River substation facility near Dagsboro’s Indian River Power Plant. US Wind would be required to get the state’s permission to use 3Rs Beach in the Delaware Seashore State Park as a connection point for this cable.
In December 2023, US Wind purchased 140 acres of land surrounding the Indian River Power Plant for around $20 million although the power plant itself was not included in the sale.
Before construction can begin, there are a number of bureaucratic hoops the company will have to jump through. It is in the process of receiving federal permission from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which it is expected to hear a definitive answer on by the end of the year. US Wind also must secure four permits from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
If all goes according to US Wind’s plan, it will be the first offshore wind project in the Mid-Atlantic region.
US Wind has estimated that the projects will be able to save Delaware ratepayers up to $253 million in utility bills over the 20-some year lifespan of the turbines. This would amount to a reduction in the average ratepayer’s electric bill by an estimated $9.
US Wind presented Delaware’s Association of Coastal Towns with a sizeable community benefits package with incentive for the towns to greenlight the projects. The community benefits package includes a stream of annual $100,000 payments over 20 years, worth a total $2 million to each town.
The first $100,000 installment would be paid once construction on the wind farm begins, the second payment would be issued after the turbines are attached to the power grid and the successive 18 payments would be paid to the state annually.
A contingency of the towns accepting this deal is that they cannot “take action, obstruct or delay” US Wind’s projects. This also includes pursuing litigation in the case of environmental harm or hazard.
The company also has pledged to invest over $200 million into Sussex County’s transmission system upgrades and to pay Delaware a lease payment of $350,000 per year, with a 3% annual increase.
Chances to comment and learn more
The public information session taking place June 5 will be centered around US Wind’s request to bring the project’s power lines ashore to Delaware, which require permits from DNREC’s Divisions of Water and Watershed Stewardship to progress.
Connecting the power lines from the wind turbines to the substation facilities in Delaware will require dredging of the Indian River, a temporary placement of a pipeline to move dredged material across state-regulated tidal wetlands and drilling in the 3Rs beach parking lot in Delaware Seashore State Park to install the export cables.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to review the applications and other related documents and ask questions to attending representatives regarding the project’s details.
Presentation boards will be displayed and staff members from DNREC, federal agencies and US Wind will be there.
Questions and comments received at the session will not be included in the public hearing record.
On July 9 at 6 p.m., a virtual hearing will be held by DNREC’s Division of Water and Division of Watershed Stewardship to consider submitted public comments on US Wind’s permit requests.
The public comment period will be open through Sep. 9. Comments will be accepted in written form via email to DNRECHearingComments@delaware.gov, using the online form at de.gov/dnreccomments or by U.S mail addressed to Lisa Vest, DNREC Office of the Secretary at 86 Kings Highway in Dover, Delaware, 19901.
