Advocating for Offshore Wind in Delaware
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Delaware Offshore Wind Events
POWER General Meeting (virtual)
Friday, Sept. 4th, 4pm
Open to All
Cindy Shurling, consultant, will share with online attendees her experiences with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities PBI (“Pre-Build Infrastructure”) Program. At an earlier time, Cindy was the face of the consulting firm that supported the stakeholder program for this endeavor. This innovative program, authorized in 2023, aims to build a landing area and the encasements for up to four offshore wind projects, as well as a grid connection. We have seen in Delaware the difficulty that US Wind has had in establishing landfall and connection to the grid. The PBI hopes to forestall that kind of problem.
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Newark Community Days (tabling)
Sunday, September 27th, 11am-4pm
POWER will have a table at Newark Community Days, University of Delaware mall.
University of Delaware Coast Day (tabling)
Sunday, October 5th, 10am-3pm
POWER will have a table at the University of Delaware Coast Day, Lewes campus.
What’s New: Offshore Wind in Delaware
Interior Launches Overhaul of Offshore Wind Rules to “Prioritize American Energy Security.” August 7, 2025
The feds have put yet another obstacle in the development of offshore wind in the U.S. The Trump administration, longtime opponents of offshore wind, is changing offshore wind rules, adding greater value to the opinions of local communities and disfavoring what they designate as “foreign investors.”
Trump administration cancels plans for new wind energy projects in federal waters. July 31, 2025
More bad news for offshore wind: The Federal government rescinds approval of 3.5 million acres of offshore wind designated “wind energy areas.”
The Secretary of the Interior asks for recommendations on remanding approvals that were already granted. July 29, 2025
The DOI’s misleading headline is: “Ending Preferential Treatment for Unreliable, Foreign Controlled Energy Sources in Department Decision-Making”
Delaware Offshore Wind Facts
Jobs
Where there’s an offshore wind project there will be jobs.
These jobs can be sorted into three categories: Direct (construction, engineering, etc.), Indirect (food trucks, manufacture of turbine components), and Operations and Maintenance (ongoing maintenance). If the project site is off the coast of Delaware, Delawareans will be able to apply for jobs in all three categories.
Health
There are health and climate benefits of offshore wind facilities in the mid-Atlantic United States.
Electricity from fossil fuels contributes substantially to both climate change and the health burden of air pollution.
Climate Change
Climate change is speeding toward catastrophe, UN panel says.
A new report says it is still possible to hold global warming to relatively safe levels, but doing so will require global cooperation, billions of dollars and big changes.
Fishing
Sports fishermen off Block Island, RI, find that the underwater structures of offshore wind turbines enhance fishing. Commercial fishermen have concerns.
The data shows that recreational anglers fare well near offshore wind turbines. Some commercial fishermen are troubled by the location of offshore wind turbines and the possibility of tangling their gear on the turbine underwater structures.
Tourism/Public Perception
Polls, visual simulations, research flesh out the picture of public reaction/response to offshore wind.
Delaware offshore wind developer specialists have worked out how an offshore wind farm will look under varying conditions, showing simulations to illustrate their point.
Siting
Making landfall and lining up and/or building facilities that will attach the offshore power to the onshore grid is a concern of Delawareans.
All of this onshore infrastructure activity is usually subsumed under the heading of “Siting.”
BOEM Lease Areas
View Bureau of Ocean Energy Management maps of the area off Delaware’s coast, and learn about BOEM hearings. What has POWER said at the hearings? What are DNREC’s comments?
BOEM controls all offshore wind activity 3 miles from the shore out to the edge of territorial waters.That is the area where offshore wind projects will be located. All federal permits required of offshore wind developers are handled by BOEM.
Birds
“Wind energy can be a powerful factor in protecting the birds that we love,” says the Audubon Society. Read about guidelines for protecting seafaring birds.
Bird lovers want to see birds protected, fearing deadly collisions. Climate change is an even greater threat, you will read.
Marine Mammals
There are no data or evidence linking whale mortalities to any one specific factor, including offshore wind development.
NOAA, the Marine Mammal Commission, and the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management all find no connection between whale strandings and offshore wind.
Recycling
85-90% of a wind turbine can be recycled, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Recycling materials in decommissioned turbines saves energy and diverts waste from landfills. Learn about progress being made in recycling the remaining 10-15%.