DELAWARE- In the final hours of the year in the 153rd General Assembly, a compromise between Democrats and Republicans results in Governor Matt Meyer (D) signing into law Senate Bill 159. It allows for the override of the Sussex County Councils denial of a proposed electric substation at the now-retired Indian River Power Plant.
Here are key points to the compromise:
- Senate Republicans allow the $977 million Capital Improvement Bill (Bond Bill) to pass
- Implementation of the substation law is delayed
- The delay allows lawsuits against U.S. Wind to continue
In a Facebook post, Senate Republican Whip Brian Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown) said. “Because of this compromise, the General Assembly was able to move forward and pass the Bond Bill, which will provide critical funding for vital capital improvement projects that benefit communities across the state.”
SB 159 would require counties to approve conditional use permits for substations located on unincorporated land if the proposed facility meets a specific set of conditions. To qualify, the substation must support a renewable energy generation project of at least 250 megawatts, be located in a heavy industrial zone, and be in a district where substations are already permitted as a conditional use.
US Wind’s planned substation near Millsboro meets those conditions, but its application was denied by Sussex County officials last year.