Gov. John Carney signs a five-bill package to combat the effects of climate change in Delaware, including a controversial bill to support offshore wind procurement.
Senate Bill 265 passed on near party-line votes in both chambers of the General Assembly earlier this year, receiving no support from Republican lawmakers.
The bill outlines how the State Energy Office should solicit offshore wind contracts and how solicitations will be analyzed.
The bill’s sponsor, State Sen. Stephanie Hansen, says it’s one thing for a state to say they want offshore wind, which she says this bill certainly does.
“But it takes the next step, which is ‘Okay, now you say you want it, how are you going to go about getting it? And when you actually get that contract in place, how is that energy actually going to be delivered into the state?’” Hansen said.
Delaware is currently deciding if it should become involved in a developing Maryland offshore wind project, which the Biden-Harris Administration gave the go-ahead to Thursday.
While this bill does not affect that project, Hansen says watching that process unfold has helped inform how this bill is structured.
She says the state will not begin to procure offshore wind until it costs less than 110% of the average cost that Delawareans have paid for energy over the last three years.
“One of the things that we wanted to make sure of when we were putting this bill together is that we would not be procuring wind if the cost was going to be too high.”
But Hansen says offshore wind is coming whether Delaware takes advantage of it or not, but the state can't rely solely on solar to reach its net-zero climate goals.
"Right now, we only have one tool in our toolbox when it comes to renewable energy, and that's solar. And we're going to continue to lean on solar as much as we can, and we're going to continue to try and develop that whole industry. But we need more than one tool in our toolbox."
She also refutes claims that wind turbines are going to ruin Delaware's tourism industry, arguing there is an untapped ecotoursim market.
"You've got onshore viewing platforms, you have boat trips out to out to the wind turbines themselves, there's a whole educational component to it, there are airplane flights to that area around there. It really brings more eco tourism and tourism to an area," Hansen said.
The other four bills increase climate community resilience, provide financial support for EV equipment, create zero-emission standards for state vehicles and require new schools and state buildings to be solar ready.
