This one's a no-brainer. Delaware is a low-lying state with a long ocean-front. Beach tourism plays a major role in its economy. Yet, if global warming goes unchecked, the "First State" will become the "Underwater State." Those great vacation resorts at Rehoboth, Bethany and Dewey Beaches will become distant memories as the state fight
s a losing battle over the next 50 years to contain a surging Atlantic Ocean.
s a losing battle over the next 50 years to contain a surging Atlantic Ocean.Wind should be the easy winner here. Delaware has lots of wind, just offshore. It has no coal to speak of, nor is it a natural gas producer, so its economy does not depend on the fate of those fossil fuels. Thus, becoming a leader in offshore wind energy is a natural for Delaware.
Some folks around the beaches worry that the giant windmills will spoil their ocean views. That's nonsense--the turbines will be sufficiently far offshore that they'll be barely visible. And, let's face it, how many people really go there to just stare at the ocean? Not that it will matter if their homes and resorts are underwater.
If Delaware can't get this easy call right, then the rest of us should be VERY worried about our fate down the road.
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More of the same, our neighbors explore alternative energy sources enact conservation and efficiency measures and we continue down the same path.
Did you see the latest from our friends at Dominion? They filed another application with the State Corporation Commission to build two transmission lines in Hampton Roads. One line would extend about 60 miles from Dinwiddie County to Suffolk, crossing Prince George, Sussex, Southampton and Isle of Wight counties. The other lower-voltage line would be about 21.5 miles long from Suffolk to Chesapeake.
You got it right, Walker. Not only is Dominion proposing another high voltage line, but the feds are proposing offshore oil and gas drilling for Virginia. Delaware gets clean wind, we get dirty oil and high voltage lines.
(Although in both Delaware and Virginia, I'd like to see widely distributed smaller wind turbines along the coastline. A large wind energy "farm" will require a high voltage line, too.)
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