City of Rehoboth Beach holds special meeting to discuss offshore wind proposals
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – Tuesday, a special meeting was held on potential benefits and drawbacks of building an offshore wind farm in the area.
Special Meeting
Currently, US Wind and Ørsted are planning to build facilities off the coast of Sussex and Worcester Counties.
“I certainly have formed my own individual opinion on offshore wind off the coast of Rehoboth Beach. But, it looks like I have a lot more studying to do before I formalize my opinion,” said Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills. “I want to put it before the commissioners to discuss it and hear from the public before we, as a group, make our own decisions.”
The meeting included four hours of presentations from local leaders, US Wind, Ørsted, The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and University of Delaware researchers. Now, the City of Rehoboth Beach is now left to continue looking into if an offshore wind farm is something they would want to allow to stand on their horizon.
“I’m very much in support of wind farms and renewable energy. But, the cost of our viewshed is something to be considered,” said Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski. “It’s a lot of information. It’s a lot of additional research to do. I’m glad that the Environment Committee for the city, as well as the Beach and Boardwalk Committee are going to be tasked with diving in.”
A Mayor’s Warning
The wind companies defended their planned projects, as the audience asked questions about the environmental impacts, how beach views would be affected, and how much money and employment would come as a result. But, Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan warned Rehoboth Beach leaders to think twice before jumping into a deal.
“When I look at Ocean City, and I look at Delaware’s beaches, we only have one industry, And, that’s tourism. People from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region come to our seashores to enjoy the beach, the ocean, and the pristine, untouched views off of our natural coast,” said Mayor Meehan at the meeting. “The Town of Ocean City supports clean energy. We support the wind farms. Just, not at the expense of our community, and I hope you won’t as well.”
Mayor Meehan says as Ocean City is grappling with the same proposals, he has major concerns about if they’re worth the cost of a visually different shoreline; One that he says drives the local economy, and keeps tourists coming back each year.
“It will look like a backdrop from Star Wars. Our grandchildren and future generations will never watch the sunrise, and enjoy it like we do today,” said Mayor Meehan. “We need to really look at the future. Yes, there’s money being spent. Yes, they can provide money for the other projects. But, can you really buy the future? I don’t think you can.”
Looking Ahead
Chrzanowski says the next time the city will revisit the issue will be at the Environment Committee meeting on October 20th at 10:30 a.m. “We will continue to have meetings that will be on public notice. We want people to come and hear what we’re talking about and voice their opinions,” he said.
