Protestors in Fenwick Island raise concerns over off-shore wind expansion.
FENWICK ISLAND, Del. – The beachfront community of Fenwick Island held a protest against offshore wind Saturday, expressing frustration about a newly announced construction and operation plan from US Wind to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
The protest saw town officials voicing their concerns regarding the visual, and environmental impacts of the project.
“I think it would totally change the beach experience, you know, most of us moved here for the pristine ocean, the wonderful beach environment that we have. We have one of the most beautiful beaches on Fenwick Island, as a matter of fact, so it’s going to ruin all of that,” said Fenwick Island Environmental Committee member Caroll Wilson.
Wilson tells 47ABC she believes the turbines would harm whales and birds, citing incidents that have been documented off of the coast of New Jersey of whales washing up on shore.
Those incidents have not been conclusively tied to turbines in the area.
Fenwick Island Mayor Natalie Magdeburger was out there with the protests she tells us she understands the need for green energy and that climate change threatens the future of the beach- but says she still has serious concerns.
“I signed a letter calling for a moratorium so that we can study more and then our environmental community comes together and makes this protest here out on town hall so we can again bring awareness, we’re certainly not against green energy, but we are against green energy that’s going to cause more problems,” she said adding “we don’t want to be the last generation to see a natural sunrise., no one should be wanting to be the last generation to see a natural sunrise.
“We want our future to be safe and intend to be green, but we don’t think this is the way to do it,” she said adding that she wants to see more public comment periods and more information sharing between the energy companies and the localities that would see the new green infrastructure.
She says her message to the Offshore wind developers would be to “slow it down, wait for more studies and make sure we are not trading one problem for another.”
Delaware’s US Senator Tom Carper, an advocate for Green Energy, and Beach conservation in the first state told 47ABC that he supports the projects moving forward, adding “Offshore wind holds the promise of providing domestic clean energy and creating good-paying jobs in Delaware and along much of the Eastern Seaboard. Expanding offshore wind is a key part of meeting our nation’s clean energy goals and protecting our coastal communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis from rising sea levels that threaten homes, businesses, schools, and other critical infrastructure.”
47ABC reached out to Orsted who declined to comment, as well as US Wind who did not respond.
