|
Wind power is a hot topic right now, especially in Sussex County, as Delaware prepares to issue a long-term contract for increased power. Just in the past two weeks, several groups hosted talks on wind power, including one at the Center for the Inland Bays Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee meeting.
The meeting, hosted by Chris Bason, provided insight into the proposal by Bluewater Wind of New York, one of three companies competing for the state energy contract. Rob Propes, Delaware project manager for Bluewater, and Mike McCabe, formerly with the Environmental Protection Agency for Region 3, which includes Delaware, and now with Cape Associates and Bluewater Wind, were the presenters at the Friday, Jan. 19 meeting in Lewes.
The Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) has been known for more than a year for its wide variety of in-depth presentations that spark conversations about conservation issues. This presentation was no different.
The Bluewater people have done their research. They have traveled to Denmark and the Netherlands to check out the biggest and most technologically advanced wind farms, which have been operating in Europe for years now. The Danes are very research oriented, said Propes, who showed a movie about the adventure of wind farm development.
The movie featured Svend Auken, the father of wind energy. Auken is a senior member of Parliament in Denmark, and when he was developing the idea of wind power, the biggest question he received was if it would work. Today, Denmark has proven that it does work, and within the next decade, they hope to receive all of their energy from alternative sources such as wind power.
Questions answered
The same questions that Americans are asking about wind power now are the questions asked in Denmark 30 years ago. Most of those questions have been answered by the Danes, who could play a big part in developing a wind farm off the Delaware coast. Propes said if the Bluewater Wind proposal is chosen, the company plans to bring in engineers who have worked on the wind farms in Europe. They will also bring in manufacturers and create jobs in Delaware while constructing the farm, which would consist of about 200 turbines, each of which could generate about 3 megawatts of power, for a total of 600 megawatts of electricity possible from the entire wind farm.
The turbines would be spaced about a half mile apart and would be barely visible from shore, which Propes demonstrated with visuals. The turbines are built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. In case of a hurricane, Propes said, the turbines automatically turn toward the wind and a brake is applied, so the windmill is not turning any more. Once the hurricane is over they start up again unless they are damaged, Propes said. Even if one or two of the windmills are damaged, the rest continue to work to provide energy.
Other answers included:
• How many birds killed? Greenpeace conducted a study on the European wind farms and found that migrating birds find ways to avoid turbines. It is estimated that each turbine will cause the death of 1.2 birds annually, less than those killed by cell towers and cats each year. The Audubon Society supports wind power.
• Do foundations of wind turbines harm the environment? Each foundation is pushed down into the ocean floor about 90 feet. Then the pole and turbine are connected on top. Each turbine takes about two days to erect. It is 130 feet from the top point of the windmill to the turbine at its center. The European wind farm foundations became habitats for marine species, such as shellfish and fish. Some species were relocated during construction, but none was killed.
• What about the cables from the wind farm to shore? Offshore, the wind turbines all feed energy into a substation. The cables then travel to shore to a small transfer station, which connects to the energy grid. During construction, Bluewater Wind will use directional drilling to insert the cables under the ocean floor. The cables will not run over the beach and construction will not disturb the beach.
• Will recreational boaters be allowed to fish under the windmills? Yes, the wind farms have proven to be excellent fishing and tourist destinations. While boating directly under a wind turbine, barely a sound is heard except for the occasional whooshing of the wind, said Propes.
Bluewater proposal
Bluewater is involved in the state’s bid process for a long-term contract for new energy in Delaware. The process was started by Delmarva Power and through legislation, the decision-making authority was given to the state’s Public Service Commission and other state agencies. (See additional article.)
The Bluewater Wind proposal gave three possible options for wind farm locations. One was in the mouth of the Delaware Bay, about 6 miles offshore. The second was about 12 miles off Rehoboth Beach and the third was about 7 miles off the Bethany Beach area.
Now, Bluewater is asking that Delmarva Power and the state to consider only the second and third options and not the bay option.
“After considering the thoughtful feedback we received from numerous Delaware stakeholders, including former Delaware Gov. Russell Peterson, Bluewater officially asked that our proposed Bay Offshore Wind Park not be considered further by Delmarva, the four state agencies and their consultants,” said Peter Mandelstam, president of Bluewater Wind.
Mandelstam said discussions with stakeholders and others showed a more favorable light on the two wind farm locations.
“Bluewater Wind wants to partner with Delaware and its citizens so that the company can be a key part of the state’s financial and energy future. Interested citizens, including Gov. Peterson, raised environmental questions and coastal zone management issues about the bay site, and we are responding to those concerns,” said Mandelstam.
“Our proposed Atlantic North and Atlantic South Offshore Wind Parks – only one of which would be selected by Delmarva and the state – avoid these issues. The closest turbines are located 11.5 highway miles and 6.9 highway miles offshore, respectively. We believe that, at these distances from the shore, there will be minimal, if any, environmental issues associated with avian flyways and we will be well outside of the coastal zone.”
In addition to the Center for the Inland Bays, other meetings on the wind power proposal have been held by such groups as the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of University Women, Citizens for a Better Sussex and Citizens for Clean Power.
The Public Service Commission is also considering competing proposals from NRG Energy for a coal gasification plant at the site of its Indian River power plant and a proposal from Conectiv for a natural gas-fired power plant near Wilmington.
Contact Rachel Swick at rswick@capegazette.com
|
