January 23, 2007
Delaware

Wind farm proposal explained

With an already large agricultural industry in Sussex County, a new type of farm is being proposed – but you will not find it on land.

A company is proposing to build a wind farm with 200 electricity-generating turbines in the Atlantic Ocean just off the Delaware coast.

At a meeting hosted by the Center for the Inland Bays, representatives for Bluewater Wind stated their case for wind power to a crowd of environmental experts and concerned citizens.

Bluewater Wind has put in a bid with Delmarva Power to add to Delaware’s power supply.

Rob Propes, the Delaware project director for Bluewater Wind, first showed a video about an off-shore wind farm in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The video gave viewers a chance to actually see just what a wind farm looks like close up and from the coastline.

The Bluewater Wind proposal listed three potential sites for their wind farm, two in the ocean, called Atlantic North and Atlantic South, and one in the Delaware Bay – though Propes said that the bay site has since been taken “off the drawing board.”

The Atlantic North site would be about 12 miles off shore from Rehoboth Beach. Atlantic South would be closer to shore, being just over 7 miles off Bethany Beach.

Propes said a wind farm would increase the state’s fuel diversity and provide a more stable price for energy.

Propes pointed out how more conventional energy companies cannot provide an accurate estimate for future consumer costs.

“We can do that,” Propes said of his company’s ability to calculate just what future costs would be using wind power.

Propes and Bluewater Wind have been meeting with local leaders, including Rehoboth Beach Mayor Sam Cooper and citizen groups, in an effort to reach out and educate the Delaware populace on the benefits of their proposal.

“We really want to be a welcomed neighbor,” Propes said of his company’s outreach efforts.

At the meeting Friday, Propes said the bid is currently under review by Delmarva Power and an independent consulting agency.

Four state agencies are also looking into the bid proposal: The Public Service Commission, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Office of Budget and Management and the Controller General’s Office.

Bluewater Wind’s proposal is not the only one under review by the state and Delmarva Power.

Two other bidders for adding to Delaware’s power supply are NRG, with a modified type of a coal burning plant, and Conectiv.

Public input is currently being taken by the state agencies on the proposals until Feb. 21.

By Daniel Divilio, The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times
(302) 227-9466 or ddivilio@dmg.gannett.com

delawareonline.com


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/01/23/wind-farm-proposal-explained/