Delaware has officially signed agreements with US Wind to provide significant renewable energy benefits to the state. The total value of these agreements exceeds $128 million, offering both community and lease benefits to Delaware residents.
Agreement Details
Agreements with US Wind will bring about major advancements in state commitment towards renewable energy; Maryland Offshore Wind Project is the product of US Wind, to be developed in two phases: MarWin and Momentum, which are set to produce considerable renewable energy and contribute toward carbon emissions reduction through offshore wind.
Support for Clean Energy and Community Initiatives
Governor John Carney, along with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), signed three critical agreements with US Wind this week. These agreements follow the environmental and permitting approvals US Wind received from both federal and state authorities in December 2024.
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One of the key aspects of the deals is the commitment to provide 150,000 renewable energy credits (RECs) each year. These credits will be associated with the wind energy generation and transferred to Delaware utilities. This effort will help utilities meet their clean energy requirements, which will result in lower energy bills for Delaware residents. Over the life of the projects, the RECs are estimated to be worth $76 million.
Community and Economic Benefits
In addition to clean energy credits, US Wind will contribute $40 million over the next 20 years for coastal waterway dredging, workforce training, environmental scholarships, and resiliency projects at state parks. The agreement also includes a lease with Delaware State Parks for power transmission cables. This lease will generate over $12 million in payments over 25 years.
Both the community and the environment will benefit immediately and over time from these measures. Additionally, the agreements will help establish Delaware as a mid-Atlantic leader in offshore wind energy.Â
Savings and Investment
US Wind expects the projects to add carbon free electricity to the regional power grid. This will lower the cost of electricity for Delaware ratepayers. The projected savings over the next 20 years will total nearly $253 million. In addition, US Wind will invest more than $200 million in transmission system upgrades to support the projects.
Governor Carney expressed optimisim about the future. He stated that the recent federal and state approvals would allow the state to reap numerous benefits from the transition to renewable energy. He highlighted the positive environmental, health, workforce, energy cost, and community impacts of the projects.