A report on offshore wind, delivered to Gov. John Carney, and legislators, recommends partnerships with neighboring states in tapping into offshore wind.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s State Energy Office report also pointed out challenges facing Delaware in meeting its goal of getting 40% of its electricity from renewable sources. It comes as offshore wind projects are canceled and put on hold. One of the projects, Ørsted’s Development of Skipjack off the coast of Maryland and Delaware, has been halted with the company walking away from a New Jersey wind farm.
Meanwhile, costs are going up for securing onshore wind power. Delaware has been getting much of its renewable electricity from wind farms in western Pennsylvania. Massive wind farms are being constructed to the west, but they would not help Delaware.
The nearby U.S. Wind developments are moving forward, with the company proposing payments to beach towns, energy credits, and other incentives if it can move forward with plans to bring offshore power lines into Delaware.
“This report provides the background, current economic conditions, and options for the governor and state legislators to consider as Delaware charts its path forward in developing a comprehensive offshore wind program,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin.
The report, Proposed Offshore Wind Procurement Strategy for Delaware recommended the following;
- Delaware should proceed with legislation authorizing offshore wind procurement to serve Delaware, either as a standalone project or in partnership with other states.
- DNREC should prepare model legislation to establish a path forward on offshore wind procurement.
- DNREC should be the lead agency in developing an offshore wind procurement program.
- The procurement program should encompass as much flexibility (in terms of timing, scale, location, and agreement structure) as possible to best adapt to changing industry conditions.
- The procurement program should be developed in consultation with all Delaware utilities.
- The procurement program should maximize long-term value and minimize ratepayer impacts.
- The procurement program should provide for economic and workforce development without adding specifications that would drive the cost.
- The procurement program should include possible partnerships with neighboring states on subjects including procurement, transmission, and supply chain development to take advantage of economies of scale beyond those of Delaware.
- The procurement program should be structured to promote the coordinated, cost-effective buildout of the transmission system on a regional scale.
- The procurement program should consider potential environmental and natural resource impacts and include ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate these impacts in planning for offshore wind procurement.
- DNREC should update its analysis and adapt this strategy continuously as more information becomes available.
DNREC also delivered the first Climate Action Plan Implementation Report to the governor and state lawmakers. That report highlights how the state, in partnership with federal and local governments, fellow states, businesses, universities, and communities, is making progress in Delaware’s efforts to reduce emissions and transition to clean energy sources, a DNREC report stated.
The report builds on the recommendations of the Offshore Wind Working Group, continuing through the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW) Report commissioned by DNREC.
