It amazes me that this newspaper, which generally informs people, continues to promote and obfuscate with respect to Bluewater Wind.
Bluewater announced a decrease in the price in the latest power purchase agreement, when the actual price increased from $116 to $125. The News Journal focused on the price change on one of the three parts of the price.
The newspaper focuses on the additional cost per month of some mythical and inaccurate measure at around $6. The more likely increase is $22. By the way, these are wholesale prices not retail.
The price of wind from the grid is $86 per megawatt. For offshore wind from Bluewater, it is $125.
Offshore wind is generally agreed to cost 50 percent more to build, and 500 percent more to maintain. Because it is so costly, the General Assembly is either going to tax those who don’t use this expensive power or take away rights given during deregulation.
In addition, it intends to force Delmarva Power to sign a contract with Bluewater if they don’t voluntarily agree. Not only are businesses going to pay for power they don’t receive, involuntary contracts are now part of the business environment.
On top of this is a new carbon tax to provide money for those in government who are intent on making people poor while they pursue their social agenda.
A carbon tax, the wind farm tax and expensive power will have no impact on air quality or health in Delaware. A better approach would include energy- sensitive building codes, energy audits at occupancy, and better education about energy use.
Ed Ratledge, Newark
18 December 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/12/18/bluewaters-project-costs-are-being-misinterpreted/