Huge Off-Shore Wind Farm Close to Approval for Delaware
There is an update to this article: Bluewater Wind’s Offshore Wind Park Approved in Delaware!
And similar projects are proposed for Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Could this be the future we’ve been waiting for? Imagine inflation-proof, stable energy prices for the next 25 years and a clean, sustainable technology that does not contribute to global warming or any air or water pollution. Located at least 11 miles offshore, the wind turbines will be very hard to see from shore, and will offer low, predictable operation and maintenance costs as well.
This project is being proposed by Bluewater Wind LLC, a leading developer of wind energy projects Comprised of experienced environmentalists and business professionals, the Bluewater Wind team is part of the Arcadia Windpower family of companies, which successfully bid and built a $150+ million development in Montana, the first wind farm in that state.
Some History: Wind power is certainly not new, although the idea of large offshore wind parks isn’t well-known yet. Currently about 2.5 million homes in the U.S. are powered by wind energy, yet we’re still far behind other countries in embracing this clean, sustainable technology. Denmark relies upon more wind power, as a percentage of the country's electricity usage, than any country in the world and 20% of their electricity comes from wind power. Much of this comes from offshore wind parks. The first offshore wind project was installed in Denmark in 1991 and they now have two of the world's largest offshore wind parks. Denmark's real life experience is helping the Delaware project, as the Danish data is being used by Bluewater Wind's expert team - many of whom are from Denmark.
How Will Offshore Wind Parks Impact Our Environment? According to Danish Environmental Studies carried out by the International Advisory Panel of Experts on Marine Ecology, the Danish wind farms have had minimal impact on the environment during their construction and operation. The studies included effects on fauna and vegetation, fish, marine mammals and birds. Electricity generated by wind sources is some of the cleanest-generated energy on earth: There are no greenhouse gases, no pollution, no carcinogens, no waste heat that kills delicate organisms, nothing toxic whatsoever.
How Bluewater Came to Delaware: State legislators initiated the quest for better energy answers when they passed legislation requiring Delmarva Power, the state's largest electric utility, to provide stable-priced electricity to its customers. The state requires that 20% of electricity generation come from renewable sources no later than 2019. The project has been thoroughly researched and final approval has been given by four state agencies: the Delaware Public Service Commission (PSC), the Delaware Energy Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Controller General's office. At this time, the only hurdle left for final approval is the Delaware State Senate. The House of Representatives has passed the resolution for approval with strong support and the issue now rests with the Senate.
You can help by contacting your Senator about your support for House Concurrent Resolution HCR38. For more suggestions on how to advance this initiative, including how to contact your Senator, visit Bluewater’s website. (ttp://bluewaterwind.com/de_help.htm)
