Delawind?

Delaware to have offshore wind farm in 2012

Posted by Joseph Romm (Guest Contributor) at 10:38 PM on 26 Jun 2008

Read more about: energy | renewable energy | wind power | Delaware

The following post is by Earl Killian, guest blogger at Climate Progress.

-----

Wind over Water On Tuesday, the utility Delmarva announced a 25-year contract with Bluewater Wind Delaware, a subsidiary of the Babcock & Brown, to purchase 200 megawatts of power from a wind farm that would be constructed 11.5 miles in the Atlantic off Delaware's Rehoboth Beach. First power is expected in 2012. The contract locks in the price Delmarva will pay per kilowatt-hour. Bluewater has previously built offshore energy near Denmark.

The wind farm will be located in ocean waters 75 feet deep. The turbine mounts will extend 90 feet into the sea floor and 250 feet above he waterline. Each of the three blades will be 150 feet long.

The final size of the wind farm is yet to be determined. Bluewater has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Delaware Electric Municipal Corporation for the sale of approximately 100,000 to 150,000 megawatt hours of power and 17 megawatts of capacity.

The agreement required legislative approval of changes to the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard to allow for a different handling of renewable energy credits (RECs) from the offshore wind farm. On Wednesday, an apparently elated state government rushed through a bill to that effect. Senate Bill 328 passed and Governor Ruth Ann Minner signed the legislation the same day. Four state agencies and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service still need to give their approval.

Bluewater Wind is currently also looking at possible projects in New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.

This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

For story: Delawind?
4 Comments | Post a Comment

RI wind farm

That would make my day - It's good to know that people are finally seeing the beauty in harnessing natural power. So cool.

by savee419 at 12:23 PM on 27 Jun 2008

Kennedys?

I know there aren't many Kennedys up in coal country so it might be easier to put wind farms in Appalachia. They don't own any cottages in Delaware, do they?

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

by John former Marine at 12:27 PM on 27 Jun 2008

offshore is great

This is really good to see. It's about time the U.S. followed Europe's lead in developing offshore wind power capacity. Not only do these turbines take advantage of regularly high winds at see, but they can also provide a habitat refuge for marine wildlife! (See article.

by timbuktu at 3:43 PM on 27 Jun 2008

Eeewww!

Just look at the picture; it looks like a scene from some sci-fi movie about another horrible future where everything natural is destroyed. Screw offshore wind! Put the wind generators in people's yards and in parking lots, and reduce energy use to whatever would be provided by that and solar panels on the roofs.

by Wolverine at 11:05 AM on 28 Jun 2008

ADVERTISING POLICY

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.