On June 30, Senate Bill 159 was signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer. It shows Delaware residents what our options are worth on US Wind’s proposal. The measure supports the construction of an electrical substation on Delaware shores, as long as it supports renewable energy generation projects. This opens the door to future installation of wind turbines along the Delaware coast.
After doing extensive research on this issue, it seems like the cons outweigh the pros. Reaching these offshore wind turbines for repairs and preventive maintenance is difficult and very expensive, requiring helicopters and uniquely designed ocean vessels. Plus, these processes are complicated by weather conditions. Mechanical complications — like ice buildup on blade surfaces during the winter, lightning strikes, bird strikes, gearbox failures and heavy rains, plus the stress of operating in a very harsh, wet environment — take a toll on this equipment. No wind turbine is airtight, leading to internal components being subjected to highly corrosive saltwater spray, especially during nor’easters and winter storms, that can cause expensive internal damage over time.
The next issue is where US Wind is going to base the equipment (maintenance ships and helicopters) that will be needed to maintain this complex offshore wind generation and distribution system. The added ships and aircraft would just increase congestion in the already busy shipping lanes coming into the Delaware Bay and to the sky traffic coming into the Dover Air Force Base and other airports within a 100-mile radius. This also increases the chances of oil tankers, container ships and aircraft colliding.
Politicians and outside investors have already overdeveloped the state; now, they’re going to trash our coastline and seashore. I hope the lawmakers in Delaware rethink their decision on this issue, as it’s going to cost residents more on our electric invoices each month because of the astronomical installation cost and the preventive maintenance costs.
Kevin Register
Camden
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
