Tell Your Lawmakers: Don't Cave To Bullies, Vote YES on SB 159

The Senate GOP has decided to go after offshore wind again. This time, they are refusing to vote on the bond and budget bills until a priority clean energy bill is killed. The bond and budget bills, created by a bipartisan committee, create and fund thousands of working-class jobs and support vital services, like our first responders and schools.

We can't afford to continue to allow obstructionism to undermine the progress we need to bring clean energy online in our region.

US Wind’s offshore wind project, slated to be the first of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region, to connect to the grid. This project is being unlawfully held up due to a politically tainted decision by Sussex County Council to deny their permit for a substation in Dagsboro, where they will plug in to deliver nearly 2 GW of clean energy to the grid. The proposed site is already zoned for heavy industrial use and is next to an existing substation. SB 159 retroactively grants approval of this substation permit, without which the project cannot move forward and could be abandoned.

Why Do We Need This Bill?

At a time when we’re facing skyrocketing energy demand due to data center growth, along with higher energy bills due to overreliance on natural gas and new energy sources not coming online quickly enough, it is critical that US Wind’s offshore wind project comes online as soon as possible. There’s no time to waste!

Sussex County Council’s decision holds the state’s energy plan hostage, while negatively impacting all Delawareans, who will be stuck paying more money for electricity while being saddled with a less reliable grid.

How Does the US Wind Project Benefit Delaware?

Investing $400 million to strengthen the local grid and create jobs for electrical workers. Delaware companies are also being recruited for the supply chain.
Giving Delaware 150,000 free RECs each year ($76 million value).
Investing $40 million in coastal projects, workforce development, and climate change resiliency, $50 million for projects around Indian River Bay, and $25 million in lease payments to Delaware.
Generating a $253 million reduction in energy costs (this conservative estimate assumes no extreme temperatures over 20 years; actual savings are likely to be much higher).

Urge your legislators to vote yes on SB 159 to correct county-level overreach and ensure a reliable, cleaner, and less expensive energy grid for all Delawareans!

Feel free to add a personalized note to your letter as these are often better received, so feel free to say why you think Delaware should move forward with bringing more clean power onto the grid to lower energy costs and fight climate change!

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Yes on SB 159

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I am writing to express my strong support for SB 159 and to urge you to vote yes to ensure all Delawareans can benefit from the electric grid reliability and energy cost savings US Wind’s offshore wind project will bring. Thank you to those who have already co-sponsored this important bill. As Rep. Snyder-Hall says, SB 159 does not interfere with the rightful authority of Sussex County Council to control zoning. The county council has already zoned the area for US Wind’s proposed substation for heavy industrial use and previously approved a substation at that same location. Energy demand is skyrocketing in the U.S. due to data center and manufacturing growth, and it’s clear we need more electricity on the grid as soon as possible. Offshore wind is a reliable, proven energy source, and US Wind’s project is ready to go- unlike proposed new nuclear or gas. US Wind’s offshore wind project needs to come online as soon as possible; there’s no time to waste. Just this week, we have had issues with our grid reliability and stability, several issues that resulted in load shedding right near the site that the power from offshore wind would be connecting to the grid. Our regional grid operator has issued alerts that called on generators to ramp up production, which has an impact on energy prices and increases pollution due to decreased efficiency at higher production levels. This challenge is due to the load growth in the region coupled with another round of extreme weather, neither of which is likely to get better in the future. The best way we can handle this problem and ensure it does not get worse is to connect new, clean power to the grid as quickly as possible in Delaware and across the region. Our regional grid operator, PJM, has made it clear that we need more supply to weather the storm that is coming our way if demand continues to exceed available generation. This project would strengthen our whole grid and provide much-needed improvements to the energy infrastructure in our state, all without us having to pay a dime. Furthermore, due to the unique contract with Maryland, the actual electricity and capacity generated by the project will be sold on the PJM wholesale energy and capacity markets, thereby lowering electricity prices for all ratepayers in the region, including those in Delaware. By supporting Senate Bill 159, you can be a part of the solution and a part of making history by bringing clean power to the people of Delaware. US Wind’s project will benefit all Delawareans through investments in the local grid and the state, jobs, free REC’s, and energy cost savings - in total an estimated $840 million or more. The fact is that Senate Bill 159 is carefully designed to apply specifically to this Conditional Use Permit, ensuring that our region and state are not deprived of this much-needed energy due to the politically motivated, unlawful decision of four council members. It does not curb home rule; it prevents the Sussex County Council from deciding energy policy for the entire state and region during a time of threatened energy shortage, inappropriately overstepping its zoning authority. Failing to pass this bill before the end of the session will likely result in increasingly costly delays and threaten the future viability of this vital industry. Thank you,

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