President Joe Biden’s announcement last week of actions to boost offshore wind energy projects drew praise from U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) And representatives of a company from offshore wind energy company that plans to build a wind farm off the coast of Delaware.

Carper, chairman of the US Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, said, “Harnessing the power of offshore wind represents the real opportunity we have to move towards a clean energy future.

“President Biden knows that with the right policies our country can develop offshore wind as a resource, protect our fishermen and our wildlife, and create well-paying American jobs,†Carper said. “I am pleased to see that the Biden administration is determined to unleash the economic power of offshore wind as part of a robust approach to reduce emissions and get Americans back to work after the pandemic.

“Today’s announcement by the Biden administration, coupled with the Carper-Collins Offshore Wind Investment Tax Credit adopted and enacted last year, means that we will soon see windmills along the coast. Is – including the long awaited bonito project off the coast of Delaware, â€Carper continued. “Finally, offshore wind projects in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia will be deployed and will bring clean and reliable energy to residents of Delmarva and beyond.”

Carper has a long history of advocating for investments in the offshore wind energy industry. The Skipjack project, first presented to the public in October 2019 and offered for construction by Danish offshore wind company Ørsted, 19.5 miles off the coast of Delaware, is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.

Biden’s announcement planned to produce 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power off the East Coast by 2030 – enough to power more than 10 million homes and reduce 78 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

To do this, the Biden administration plans to speed up the permitting process, invest in research and development in the offshore wind energy industry, provide low-interest loans. wind farm projects and to finance $ 230 million for the modernization of American ports.

Biden’s initiative also calls on the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to share data with Ørsted on offshore waters where Ørsted holds leases. NOAA will also provide $ 1 million to help study the impact of offshore wind operations on fishing operations and coastal communities.

Originally, the construction of the bonito wind farm was to face competition in 2022; the date was then moved to 2023, due to authorized delays. In February, Ørsted announced that the project was now due for completion by 2026 and said the company had yet to find a place to bring the power lines ashore from the wind turbines, which will be located off the coast. of Delaware.

When the project was first announced in 2019, a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Ørsted and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control to locate a substation on Park Bay land. ‘State of Fenwick Island.

Some residents and city officials of Fenwick Island have spoken out against the proposed location of the substation in the park, even though Ørsted had promised major improvements to the park as part of the project.

In July 2020, Ørsted withdrew its plan to locate the project in the park, citing concerns about the potential disturbance of wetlands there.

In August 2020, the Maryland Civil Service Commission approved plans to change the size of turbines from 8 megawatts to 12 megawatts, which increases the size of the turbines but means less would be required to produce the same amount. electricity.

Brady Walker, Mid-Atlantic Market Manager for Ørsted, said last week: “The Skipjack Wind Farm will play a critical role in helping to [Biden] The administration’s new goal is to create $ 12 billion in annual investment in offshore wind capital and 44,000 domestic offshore wind jobs by 2030. ‒

David Hardy, CEO of Offshore North America, Ørsted’s US presence, applauded Biden’s announcement.

“This action will put our country on a path to maximize our unparalleled wind potential to help meet the country’s clean energy needs,†said Hardy. “More than that, it reaffirms the ability of offshore wind to launch a new American industry that will provide well-paying union jobs, create economic opportunities and generate local investments that will benefit all Americans.

Asked about his thoughts on the new initiative, Fenwick Island Mayor Eugene Langan – who also led the Coastal Towns Association while not supporting plans for power lines to land at Fenwick Island State Park – a declined to comment.