On September 5, Delaware Governor John Carney signed package of new legislation aimed at supporting the production of clean energy including industrial offshore wind. Legislation included Senate Bill 265, House Bill 9, House Substitute 2 for House Bill 13, Senate Bill 237 and House Bill 402.
“Senate Bill 265 gives us options to move forward on purchasing wind-generated renewable energy in a fiscally responsible way,” said Governor Carney, adding “House Bill 9 converts our state fleet to electric vehicles. Each piece of legislation that we signed today will help us keep that progress going.”
“The Delaware Energy Solutions Act of 2024, created by SB 265, authorizes processes necessary to help meet the net zero goals of the Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023,” Governor Carney noted, going on to say “The bill facilitates a transition to carbon-free energy sources by preparing for offshore wind to be a significant element of Delaware’s energy future and increasing options for interconnecting renewable energy resources to the transmission grid.
“The passage of SB 265 will open the door to offshore wind energy procurement in our state,” said Representative Debra Heffernan. “It will take time before we see a turbine in Delaware, but this is still a huge feat. We have now begun the process to ensure that Delaware is ready to make the switch to clean energy when the best opportunity presents itself,” Rep. Heffernan added.
While nearby coastal states including New Jersey and Maryland have had active debates raging for years as industrial offshore wind companies plot a course from leased offshore sites towards an eventual connection to the shoreside energy grid, Delaware has mostly been in the background on the process. The governor’s signature on a new suite of green energy bills in September should now put Delawareans into the spotlight for discussion and debate.