US Wind continues its turbulent efforts to utilize Delaware as a landing spot to bring power onshore from its developing Maryland offshore wind projects.
After receiving the necessary state permits from Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) in December, former Gov. John Carney signed an agreement to lease land at 3Rs Beach to serve as the power access point.
But there is still one remaining piece of the puzzle — a permit from Sussex County Council that would allow US Wind to construct a necessary substation that would act as the connecting point for the underwater cables.
US Wind purchased 140 acres of land near Delaware's soon-to-be shut down coal-fired Indian River Power Plant for close to $20 million in December 2023 for said substation.
Council denied granting that conditional use permit on Dec. 17, and US Wind has since filed an appeal in Delaware Superior Court.
Carney is disappointed by Council’s decision, remembering almost two decades ago when the county was largely in favor of an offshore wind project Delaware was attempting to spearhead.
"The Maryland project is actually the the area in the the ocean that was originally approved for the Delaware project," Carney said. “Everybody was for it, and then the current, I guess, national political backdrop has forced a change in people's attitudes there.”
The agreement will provide the State Energy Office with 150,000 renewable energy credits, which will be transferred to Delaware utility companies and are expected to ultimately lower customer bills.
Carney believes the renewable energy credits will help ease constituent questions he heard about surcharges on their bills due to lack of transmission into Sussex County.
“With the energy coming from the ocean and through and across the Millsboro plant, it should help — I'm not a scientist — but it should help with those transmission issues in the lower part of the state, thereby addressing a financial concern of the people who live there.”
The deal also includes funding from US Wind for coastal waterway dredging, clean energy workforce training, environmental scholarships and resiliency and capital projects at state parks. The community benefits agreement is worth $40 million over 20 years.
The 3Rs Beach lease with Delaware State Parks will total more than $12 million over 25 years.
US Wind has received the necessary federal permits to go ahead with the project aside from some expected approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In addition the county permit appeal process, the project is facing two lawsuits.
The Town of Ocean City, along with several local organizations and neighboring towns, are suing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), alleging that the environmental review for the project was inadequate, citing climate change concerns and potential impacts on the North Atlantic right whale.
Additionally, Delaware-based think tank the Caesar Rodney Institute, commercial fisherman Paul "Wes" Townsend and charter boat captain and commercial clammer George Merrick filed a complaint against DNREC in September, alleging the department violated proper permitting procedures.
US Wind plans to begin construction in 2026 and have the offshore wind farm online by 2028.
