Energy company hosts first Supplier Day event

BETHANY BEACH, Del. – The energy company Ørsted took a major step on Tuesday in its plans to construct wind turbines 19 miles off the Delaware-Maryland coast.

On Tuesday, the company hosted its first Supplier Day event.

The event gave contractors a chance to meet with local businesses that are interested in becoming part of the construction of the proposed interconnection site for the Skipjack Wind Farm project.

Right now, Orstead is waiting to get approval from DNREC officials to start building at the Fenwick Island State Park.

But, in the meantime, they want the bigger contractors they plan to use to meet the local labor force.  That way these huge projects will be worked on by locals instead of people from outside of Delmarva.

“It’s vital that we have as much local businesses feed into the development of an overall project because quite frankly it’s the only way the project is going to be successful,” said the Ørsted Lead Sourcing & Onshore Facilities Manager Matt Drew.

“It helps the blue-collar worker feel like they’ve accomplished something that is going to be a part of their community in their area for generations to come,” said Todd Allen, an employee at Ironworkers Local 5.

Ørsted says getting local businesses involved will also make a huge positive impact on the state’s future economy.

According to Drew, if Ørsted’s project proposal moves forward this spring construction will begin in 2022.

Ørsted says the project will generate enough clean energy to power 35,000 homes and create thousands of jobs across Delmarva.

For more information about the Skipjack Wind Farm project, click here.