DELAWARE - On Tuesday night, People for Offshore Wind Energy Resources held a meeting in Bethany Beach to discuss offshore wind farms that could come to our coast.Â
Representatives from U.S. Wind, University of Delaware's Department of Marine Science, and University of Rhode Island's Department of Marine Affairs were there to answer questions from the public about offshore wind farms and the impacts they could have on the community.
Delaware Development Manager of U.S. Wind Mike Dunmyer says, "transitioning to green energy is an absolute critical step to take."
According to Dunmyer, U.S. Wind is seeking to permit a lease area that includes four offshore substations. It would include two landfalls between Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach, and bring onshore and offshore cables from South Bethany to Rehoboth Beach.
The public voiced different opinions on this Tuesday night, from concerns on negative impacts to sea life, to a loss of jobs in the tourism industry that is a big part of our beach towns.
One community member says, "It's unclear of what the impacts of the EMF from sub-sea cables will have on fisheries and fish behavior. Also, we're willing to let go of our kids future, and our jobs."
Others argue it's because of our kids future that we must build offshore wind farms and create clean energy.
"With climate change, different floods, fires, hurricanes, tornados...all those things are coming, and they are destroying whole towns. You're not going to have a house. You're not going to have insurance," says Martha Redmond, who visits the Delaware beaches often.
According to U.S. Wind, the advantage of it's proposal is that a lot of it can be developed right here on Delmarva, as compared to solar energy, which it says isn't as feasible.
Dunmyer says he expects to hear back on the possible approval of offshore wind projects from DNREC, and other municipalities, in September of 2024.