DELMARVA - According to Rehoboth Beach Mayor, Stan Mills, he recently met with Ocean City Mayor, Rick Meehan, regarding a proposed wind farm project that would place windmills off the shores of both beach towns.Â
Mills says Meehan inquired about Rehoboth's opinion on the project with a potential partnership in mind. Meehan could not be reached for comment, but has been a vocal opponent of the offshore wind farm due to the effect he believes it could have on beach views and tourism.Â
While Mills says his personal opinion matches that of Meehan, the City of Rehoboth has not taken an official stance on the project, which is proposed by wind energy company, Orsted.
"My personal view I think matches his concern that there’s the possibility of negative impact on our view shed," Mills said. "So, while my view is personal, the city of Rehoboth Beach has yet to formalize any position on the offshore wind farms that are proposed."
Mills asked Rehoboth's Environment Committee to look into any concerns about the project. It was revealed in the committee's December 3rd meeting that Meehan had reached out to Mills. However, they determined that they don't yet have enough information to form an opinion and make a recommendation.
They agreed it would be beneficial to hear a presentation by Meehan on the matter, and are waiting on the publishing of University of Delaware's Special Initiative of Offshore Wind Report. That could come out as early as January.Â
The Environment Committee plans to discuss the project more formally in their next meeting, but it could be a while before they reach an official recommendation for city commissioners and, potentially, the state.Â
