November 15, 2019
Delaware, Letters, Maryland

Offshore wind farm voice needed now

Voices From The Readers – November 15, 2019 | The Dispatch | Nov 14,2019 | mdcoastdispatch.com

Several offshore wind farm projects that will stretch from Rehoboth Beach to Ocean City will soon be a reality unless citizens and legislators take action now. Orsted Wind Power (Denmark) has been granted one of multiple offshore wind farm leases. Orsted’s Skipjack Offshore Energy, LLC and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) have a tentative agreement to allow installation of multiple electric transmission cables and connection facilities (industrial uses) in the ecologically fragile Fenwick Island State Park (Park) in exchange for a major expansion of the Park plus a financial endowment. The Park is a narrow strip of flood prone lands containing sensitive ecosystems, wetlands, and wildlife habitats that normally would be protected by DNREC, so why the push to commercialize and industrialize it. People visit our parks so they can experience what nature looks like, not what concrete looks like.

Orsted and other offshore wind energy companies are looking to use the tallest wind turbines in the world, measuring 853 feet or three times higher than the turbine in Lewes. As planned, these turbines will be in plain view from the Delaware shoreline both day and night (with flashing red beacon lights). This will forever destroy the pristine ocean vista that people have always assumed would never change. Renewable clean energy is a good thing, but offshore wind turbines visible from Delaware’s Atlantic coastline should not be allowed. In fact, many official groups are against placing these large turbines

offshore including, Ocean City, MD, State of Maryland’s Assateague Park, the Assateague National Park, Army Corp of Engineers, Homeland Security, The Coast Guard, The Town of Fenwick Island, MERR, and several wildlife groups. The Atlantic horizon should never be polluted with wind turbines because this natural seascape belongs to the people and future generations, not energy developers. If these projects are not cost effective for developers, then offshore wind energy should be moved to onshore.

Anyone who wants to retain the unobstructed view of Delaware’s Atlantic coast should take action now by contacting their Delaware legislators and request that they, STOP negotiations with Skipjack and other offshore wind projects until such developers can guarantee an unobstructed view of our coastal horizon as it appears today. Once the proposed turbines are installed there’s no going back.

A public meeting to discuss this is scheduled on 6-7:30 pm, Tuesday Nov. 19 at Indian River High School.