Offshore wind power is no panacea

Sussex County Council should be commended for its recent action to deny a conditional-use request to build an electric substation east of Millsboro. Granting the exemption would have taken Delaware one step closer to an uncertain energy future.

Filed by a subsidiary of offshore wind power developer US Wind, the substation would have been used to import power from the proposed MarWin wind farm, located nine nautical miles off the coast of northeast Maryland and Fenwick Island. 

Earlier this month, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control approved multiple permits and authorizations to allow the project’s transmission cables to come ashore at Delaware Seashore State Park near 3R’s Beach and be routed through state-controlled land beneath Indian River Bay.

The state’s actions to facilitate a project that will provide no electricity to Delaware makes one wonder how disruption to our fragile offshore and onshore ecosystem will benefit the citizens of Delaware. As in the contract, US Wind will monitor the damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Inland Bays. This in itself is an admission to damage such as changes to nutrient levels, pollutants from construction degrading water quality, damage to fish, shellfish, bay grasses, and other marine life that most believe will not help heal the fragile ecosystem of the Inland Bays but further add to the detrimental changes for minimal actual benefit to Delawareans. Additionally, wind turbines broadcast underwater low-frequency vibrations and create large electromagnetic fields around the miles-long, high-voltage transmission lines.

In September, the governor signed into law the Delaware Energy Solutions Act of 2024, creating a detailed framework for the solicitation, consideration and potential approval of future offshore wind projects. The statute authorizes the State Energy Office to develop and solicit long-term contracts to purchase between 800 and 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind electricity. 

The legislation is part of a larger initiative. Last year, the governor signed the Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act into law, committing the state to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% over six years (compared to 2005). By 2050, the law calls for the state to have net zero emissions. 

As well-intentioned as these efforts are, all forms of power generation, even those touted as sustainable, renewable and minimally impactful, carry monetary and environmental costs. 

Offshore wind power is no panacea. It has its own risks, challenges and negative consequences. One drawback is the variable and shifting nature of wind. Wind turbine production profiles may not match power demands. When excess power is produced, there are no inexpensive, large-scale options for storing that energy – an inefficiency that technology has not yet resolved. 

Expense is another concern. While wind is free, capturing its potential in the open ocean is expensive. Offshore wind turbines need to be specifically built to withstand corrosive saltwater, the constant battering of the sea, and their immense size – more than 850 feet tall in the case of the 12 MW turbines planned for MarWin. In addition to constant repairs and maintenance, they need to be decommissioned and removed at the end of their lifecycles. According to published reports, at least five regional offshore wind projects were canceled last year in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. The problems cited included inflation, higher interest rates, rising capital costs and supply chain issues – all factors that inflated electricity costs beyond the point of viability.

For example, the project may create some local jobs but is slated to invest more than $75 million to rebuild Maryland ports … not Delaware ports. Over a 20-year period, the projected cost for the energy produced by the MarWind project is $131.93 per MWh versus the cost of natural gas energy estimated at $100 per MWh. The storing costs of wind energy are not factored into the figures and add significant costs to the consumer.

As a 2020 Manhattan Institute study noted: “The actual costs of offshore wind projects borne by electric ratepayers and taxpayers are likely to be greater than advertised. Experience in Europe over the previous decade demonstrates that the performance of offshore wind turbines degrades rapidly – on average, 4.5% per year. As output declines and maintenance costs increase.”

Locally, the MarWin project will create visual clutter visible from the southern Sussex County shoreline. For the thousands of families whose welfare is connected to our state’s multibillion-dollar tourism industry, any factor that might send those dollars elsewhere is a grave consideration.

Additionally, large-scale wind generation technology relies on international supply chains for equipment and components, making it vulnerable to foreign influence or disruptions. Digital systems are needed to control and monitor offshore wind farms, making them susceptible to cyber-attacks. Their remote location also exposes turbines to the threat of hostile activity, ranging from vandalism to terrorism. The impact on defensive naval and air force capabilities could be significant and pose a threat to national security.  

Sussex County Council’s prudent decision will not stop the MarWin project. Its supporters will shift to other alternatives. Nor will the delay of this project dissuade many Delaware officials from continuing their pursuit of offshore wind power.

As noted by the state’s own wind power procurement working group, future consideration of purchasing offshore wind power should be weighed against all competing low-emission alternatives, which could include hydrogen power, carbon capture, solar power, small-scale onshore wind generators, geothermal and small-scale nuclear energy. 

Everyone wants clean, effective, efficient and low-cost energy.  As we all expect on-demand energy to be available, policymakers/decision-makers must be prudent and willing to invest in a diverse portfolio of cost-effective and environmentally sensible options.