Sierra Club Delaware Chapter Director Dustyn Thompson — a member of two of the Governor’s Energy Advisory Council's (GEAC) four working groups — believes the GEAC recommendations on offshore wind are an important step in reaching net-zero emissions.
The recommendation calls for development of a procurement mechanism to solicit bids for offshore wind power projects of at least 800 megawatts in Delaware.
And while he believes an 800 megawatt project is economically feasible for Delaware to pursue solo, he adds there are plenty of opportunities to partner with neighboring states to maximize the impact of offshore wind power.
“If we went in with New Jersey who just lost a project and even Pennsylvania that doesn’t have access directly to the ocean and did a tri-state project, we could really drive economic development in all three states in a way that really makes sense," Thompson says.
The recommendation for Delaware to pursue its own offshore wind project is separate from last week’s announcement of the First State’s partnership with US Wind on two Maryland offshore wind projects.
But Thompson and the Sierra Club are concerned with the amount of recommendations promoting the transition to low carbon and renewable fuels — offering negligible efforts on emission reductions.
“Whether you’re burning gasoline or diesel or oil in your house, there’s still emissions – there are still costs in terms of social and climate costs," he says.
Thompson is particularly worried about a recommendation asking DNREC to help develop legislation allowing utilities to invest in low carbon fuels, then rate base that cost and pass it on to ratepayers.
He says hydrogen and low carbon fuels should be seen as a last resort, for areas where electrification isn’t possible or those that cannot be decarbonized.
The Delaware Energy Plan will continue to be developed in the new year with input from GEAC, as well as public comment.
