DOVER, DE - The Delaware State Senate has passed a new bill that would reverse a Sussex County decision and pave the way for US Wind to construct a substation near 3Rs Beach as part of their offshore wind project.
If passed by the full Delaware legislature, Senate Bill 159 would retroactively nullify Sussex County’s denial of a key permit for US Wind’s proposed substation near Millsboro. On June 10, a vote by State Senators brought that bill a significant step closer to realization.
SB 159’s primary sponsor, 10th District Senator Stephanie Hansen, cited what she called a looming energy reliability problem in Delaware as to why the bill was necessary. The issue, Hansen said, was a statewide concern, and US Wind’s project would help alleviate increasing demands and energy prices in the First State.
“Sussex County should not have control over the lights coming on in New Castle County,” Hansen argued during the nearly two-hour deliberation over SB 159.
Hansen, a New Castle County Democrat, was met with staunch opposition from Sussex and Kent County Republican Senators.
Senator Gerald Hocker, who represents several Sussex County communities, argued against relying on offshore wind energy, saying efforts would better be spent expanding nuclear and natural gas.
Later in the legislative session, Senator Bryant Richardson would rail against the bill as “tyranny of the majority” and a theft of local control by the state legislature.
Fellow Sussex County Senator Brian Pettyjohn, of District 19, also joined the local opposition.
“We’re rushing this,” Pettyjohn said, before underscoring the concerns of some coastal Sussex County communities surrounding US Wind’s offshore project. Pettyjohn also argued Dover overturning a county decision could set a dangerous precedent.
US Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski was also in attendance for Tuesday’s deliberations and vote, facing numerous questions from Republican lawmakers.
When asked if pending litigation could ultimately halt the offshore wind project, Grybowski said US Wind’s investors were confident the lawsuits are unlikely to succeed. Grybowksi also dismissed the possibility of President Donald Trump interceding to stop the project, saying the current administration has allowed every approved offshore project to go ahead so far.
Ultimately, SB159 passed the Senate just before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday by a vote of 15 yes, 5 no, and 1 absent. SB 159 will now continue to the Delaware House. Should it pass there, it will go on to Governor Matt Meyer’s desk.
Following Tuesday's vote, Sussex County Communications Director Chip Guy told WBOC, "We remain hopeful that we and other local government officials can continue to collaborate and work toward the best solutions for the public we serve."