Delmarva Power and Bluewater Wind Ink Deal!

By: elevandoski
Published On: 6/27/2008 7:35:39 PM

Cross-posted at VB Dems.


Thelma Drake and Frank Wagner are going to shit when they hear this...

Question: Is offshore wind doable or still sci fi? Answer:  Not only is it doable, it's happening!

Check it out!  An offshore wind project in Delaware has just passed the last major hurdle - getting the utility to agree to a contract with the developer. The legislature just this week passed the last legislation necessary to go forward.

Delaware gets wind turbines

Offshore wind pact OK'd for Delaware
$800 million deal leaves room for more investors

By AARON NATHANS
The News Journal
NEWARK -- Delmarva Power signed a landmark offshore wind power deal with Bluewater Wind on Monday, agreeing to buy enough power to light 50,000 homes in Delaware for the next 25 years.

Read the rest here...

New Jersey and Rhode Island are perched to follow suit, have asked for proposals and promised to make it happen if they get a good one..  

Virginia?.... Um, well...  so far not so interested... maybe our gas prices haven't gotten high enough yet?!?  

And check out below the fold this trick question from Thelma's Energy Survey.  Screw offshore wind. We have Big Oil to satisfy!

3. Should Congress allow energy producers to expand domestic energy exploration in the short term and invest in alternative forms of energy like nuclear, solar, and wind in the long term?

Hmmm... would the average person know that she's specifically talking about offshore drilling when she says "expand domestic energy exploration"?  Some folks might think "Yes, I'd like to see more exploration of geothermal resources".  After all, maybe they were thinking about York County public schools where 1/3 of their schools use geothermal energy (where they have six of the seven school buildings in Virginia, and are one of only 28 school divisions across the nation to be an Energy Star Leader).  But never mind that, she tings that "yes" vote as supporting offshore drilling.  She and Wagner have each done it before - they'll do it again.  I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw her!

I urge everyone and their brother to vote "No" to question 3 (of 3) early and often!!!  

Comments



There is a wind contract for Virginia (Rebecca - 6/27/2008 11:20:43 PM)
I believe its with AES... It was in the Post a while back. Fairfax County already gets some power from wind. Who'd a thought it? We're more progressive than we think.


Far from progressive ... (A Siegel - 6/29/2008 9:31:48 AM)
very low percentage of wind and it seems to be used more for leverage and publicity than serious efforts to move away from coal. Yes, there is wind in the mix but not nearly what it could be with even reasonable policies.

Sigh ...

How I would love to see wind turbines while playing with my kids at Sandbridge (south of Virginia Beach, where this family goes for 'beach time').

And, to be honest, it would be great if the building code were modified so that I'd start seeing some wind turbines ashore in Sandbridge, itself, both at homes and (for example) a large turbine on common property ... but there would be outraged NIMBYism by those who prefer out-of-sight, out-of-mine electricity from burning stripped-mined coal.



Some day wind farms will be a welcome sight (Rebecca - 6/29/2008 10:03:05 AM)
I traveled to East Germany last fall. In spite of the fact that they still have a high unemployment rate, you see wind farms everywhere. (See, you can do these things even if the economy isn't great) The power goes to those in the local area. They even process garbage to produce electricity!

They get 7% of their power from wind.