Sussex County Council voted against the US Wind’s application Tuesday to build a new substation in Dagsboro.
A US Wind subsidiary owns the parcel of land next to the Indian River Power Plant where the company planned to build the substation to accept power from its wind farms off the Maryland coast.
Sussex County’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the application be approved ahead of the council meeting Tuesday. But the council voted against the ordinance four to one, a move CEO Jeff Grybowski called “a terrible anti-business decision” in a statement.
Four councilmembers agreed they voted against the ordinance because it doesn’t serve Delaware.
Councilmember Douglas Hudson conceded new construction would create temporary work for the community.
“But I'm focused on the long term benefits… This project does not benefit the inhabitants of Sussex County, therefore, I vote no,” Hudson said.
There were two previous opportunities for public comment, so Tuesday’s meeting was closed to public comment on US Wind’s proposed project.
Five attendees attempted to comment against the efforts, with one saying the funds should go to education rather than offshore wind.
Council President Michael Vincent was the only “yes” vote. In his last council meeting before retirement, he said he thinks council made the wrong call.
“I think the idea of turning it down because we don't think it benefits people in Delaware – I certainly hope, moving forward, that people in other states don't feel the way about us because we generate no power in Delaware.”
The First State consumes almost 80 times more energy than it produces, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Grybowksi concurred with Vincent and added that this would have allowed Delaware to grow in tandem with its population.
“The region needs more electricity to grow the economy and support new jobs. Our new substation will deliver large amounts of clean power directly into the electric grid in Sussex County. But a few County officials ignored both these massive benefits and the law,” Grybowski said in a statement.
Grybowski concluded: “We know that the law is on our side and are confident that today’s decision will not stand. Our plans to build the region’s most important clean energy project are unchanged.”
