|
Delaware would become the hub of regional wind farm development if a proposed wind farm off Rehoboth Beach gets the go-ahead.
Lt. Gov. John Carney announced Thursday, Jan. 31, that Babcock and Brown, parent company of Bluewater Wind, has agreed to import turbines through the Port of Wilmington and to build an operations center, possibly in the Milford area. A Delaware-based training center may also be needed.
“This is a great opportunity to make Delaware a central part of the wind power industry and to get the state in on the ground floor of an industry with a huge upside-growth potential,” Carney said.
The environmental benefits of wind power are well known, he said. But beyond stable prices, the economic benefits have so far appeared less apparent. Seeing potential for economic growth, Carney contacted the wind companies to investigate how Delaware could play a major role in business development.
Bluewater Wind spokesman Jim Lanard said Bluewater has assessed the benefits of Delaware as an economic hub. “We had a great meeting with the lieutenant governor, and Bluewater has made a firm commitment to make Delaware our economic hub as we continue to expand our business,” he said. In response, Carney said, “With the two automotive manufacturing plants that have been the backbone of Delaware manufacturing for 50 years facing uncertain futures, this news is especially promising.”
The 150-turbine Bluewater project alone is expected to employ 500 people for installation and start-up with 80 to 100 maintenance workers needed to handle routine upkeep.
But under the agreement announced by Carney, if the wind farm contract gets the go-ahead, the Delaware job market could get an additional boost. Bluewater plans on using the Port of Wilmington to import European commodities including turbines and blades. Significant quantities of steel would go into Wilmington as well.
From there, the parts needed for wind tower assembly will be loaded onto special installation ships and transferred to the site of the wind farm, 12 miles off Rehoboth Beach.
Bluewater is investigating sites around Milford that appear to be suitable for an operations and maintenance facility to service the wind farm, said Lanard.
There is no trained workforce in the United States to work with offshore wind turbines, so a training facility may be needed. That would be located in Delaware as well. “With staging, facilitating and laying down foundations, Delaware will have a very significant economic potential,” said Lanard. “This is a very exciting commitment. It provides yet another good reason for us to approve this project,” said Carney, who has been a strong supporter of the wind farm project since its inception.
The project has been stalled since Dec. 18, when representatives of four state agencies were unable to reach a consensus to vote to approve it. The contract was tabled, and since then there has been a flurry of activity among wind farm supporters who want to see the project get rolling again quickly and lawmakers who have questions, concerns and reservations about the deal.
The Senate has scheduled energy hearings for February, and the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee is planning to evaluate a concurrent resolution to direct the state’s controller general to vote in favor of the contract. Carney has been active in holding discussions with lawmakers who have questions about the proposal.
Meanwhile, Delmarva Power has announced it is seeking bids for wind power from onshore providers. Those bids are scheduled to be in by March, when the General Assembly returns to work. Delmarva Power wants to compare Bluewater’s proposal side-by-side with onshore power options, which the power provider says could cost 45 percent less.
Carney called the Mid-Atlantic region a sweet spot for wind energy, saying Delaware is at an advantage to use this resource, with less wind to the south and greater complications to the north.
Contact Leah Hoenen at leah@capegazette.com
|
