How Delaware can benefit from offshore wind

Sussex County residents visiting local beaches this spring may have seen signs of progress for clean energy in the region. Survey vessels conducted work that will guide the development of Skipjack Wind, my company’s offshore wind project that will deliver clean energy to nearly 300,000 homes in the region.

As the Cape Gazette reported, these vessels conducted geophysical and geotechnical surveys near Towers Beach and 3R’s Beach, gathering data about the characteristics of the bay and sea floor. Survey work concluded for the summer by Memorial Day weekend.

As my team and I met with residents to discuss this work, I’ve been asked several good questions about what offshore wind means for Delaware.

First, folks ask why Skipjack Wind will be located off Delaware’s coast. Locations of offshore wind projects are determined the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, which creates and leases Wind Energy Areas in federal waters after conducting scientific analyses and holding public comment periods. BOEM created a Wind Energy Area off Delaware’s coast in 2012, and my company secured a lease to it in 2018 to develop Skipjack Wind.

At its closest point, Skipjack Wind will be at least 15.5 miles from Delaware’s shore on the far side of the shipping lane. On clear, cold days, it may be faintly visible on the horizon. On cloudy or hazy days, it may not be visible at all. 

Every citizen has a voice in offshore wind’s development. BOEM reviews every U.S. offshore wind construction plan, and holds numerous public forums and comment periods. Skipjack Wind can only be constructed after we meet federal environmental, health and safety regulations set by BOEM and other state and federal agencies.

I’m also asked what landfall – or the process of bringing the power onshore to the electric grid – means for Delaware. It means significant investment in local infrastructure as we modernize the electric grid. It means new Delaware jobs and opportunities for small business during construction and operation. Perhaps most importantly, it means Delaware will have a responsibly constructed and operated solution for connecting a renewable energy source to the grid. As the operator of one out of every three offshore wind turbines globally, Ørsted will harness its expertise to complete landfall in a way that respects local communities.

Residents ask whether offshore wind and tourism can coexist. The facts show they thrive together. A University of Rhode Island study found that Airbnb rentals and revenues increased on Block Island, Rhode Island, after the Block Island Wind Farm went into operation. Charter boat captains report new customers wanting to fish the turbine foundations and tourists wanting to see the turbines up close.

Some have asked me if wind turbines will hurt bird species or marine mammals. Climate change poses a greater threat, putting two-thirds of North American bird species at risk of extinction, according to the National Audubon Society. Transitioning to clean energy is critical to their protection.

Ørsted is developing Skipjack Wind in an ecologically sensitive way. Our vessels employ observers and hydrophones to detect marine mammals. We pause construction when protected mammals are nearby. We will avoid nearshore construction during horseshoe crab spawning season. Additionally, studies of European wind farms found that bird species can detect and avoid wind turbines.

Offshore wind is a new American industry. Delawareans are right to ask questions and seek out fact-based answers. I encourage residents to get in touch with questions about Skipjack Wind and learn more about BOEM’s public engagement process by going to www.boem.gov.