The Delaware State Senate has approved a bill enabling US Wind to proceed with its plans for onshore substations connected to the Maryland offshore wind project in Sussex County, Delaware. The county council had previously denied US Wind the necessary permit last year.
Senate Bill 159, introduced on May 21, prohibits counties from rejecting permits for onshore electrical infrastructure in heavy industrial zones involved in renewable energy projects. The bill has been forwarded to the House’s Natural Resources & Energy Committee for a hearing set within twelve legislative days.
If enacted retroactively, the bill would overturn the Sussex County Council’s December 2024 decision to deny US Wind’s permit for its preferred substation site.
US Wind plans to construct substations adjacent to the Indian River Power Plant in Dagsboro, connecting the Maryland offshore wind farm to the regional electric grid at Delmarva Power and Light’s Indian River substation. The export cables will land under 3R’s Beach parking lot in Delaware Seashore State Park, run beneath the Indian River Bay, and emerge at the substation.
In December 2024, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) approved three permits for US Wind to connect the offshore wind project to the Sussex County grid: Subaqueous Lands Permit, Wetlands Permit, and Beach Preservation Coastal Construction Permit.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for US Wind’s Maryland offshore wind projects in December 2024. The project is set to include up to 114 wind turbines, four offshore substations, and four offshore export cables, as well as up to three onshore substations.
US Wind secured offshore wind renewable energy credits (ORECs) from the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) in 2017 and 2021, supporting over 1,056 MW across two projects. In January, following a law introduced in May 2024, US Wind was approved to sell 6,966,836 MWh of offshore wind energy to Maryland annually. This approval facilitates the installation of 1,710 MW of offshore wind capacity and the development of the Maryland project in four phases.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz