rsted backs out of offshore wind connection at Fenwick Island – The News Journal

Fishermen say there isn't enough known about the impacts of offshore wind. With two projects in the work off Delmarva, fishermen are worried about their livelihoods. Salisbury Daily Times

OCEAN CITY, Md.The construction of an interconnection facility at Fenwick Island State Park is no longer in the works due to environment concerns, according to an announcement from rsted.

rsted and the Delaware Department Natural Resources and Environmental Control have worked together since July 2019 to create a connection point for the Skipjack Wind Farm.rsted offered to invest $18 million in the state parkin exchange for the opportunity to build an interconnection facility.

rsted has "pivoted" away from Fenwick Island because of the park's "undisturbed wetlands," according to the announcement.

This draft rendering shows where the interconnection facility will be, in the top of the photo to the left of the highway along the bay side of Fenwick Island State Park. On the ocean side are some renderings of improvements such as a new visitor center and pedestrian overpass.(Photo: Courtesy of DNREC)

"Constructing an interconnection facility on a site with such an extensive presence of undisturbed wetlands runs contrary torsted's deeply held commitment to building our business sustainably," said Brady Walker, Mid-Atlantic market manager forrsted.

More: Delmarva wind farms delayed to 2023-24, developers blame U.S. government for setback

More than 200 people attended a statemeeting in November 2019, many of whom were against the project, according to The New Journal. The agreement was made quietly, with discussions not held in public.

The company said it plans to announce a newlocation for the interconnection facility in the coming weeks.

The interconnection facility at Fenwick Island would have connected directly to the Skipjack Wind Farm, bringing energy captured by the wind turbines from 19 miles offshore to land.

This map shows where an offshore wind lease area is along Delaware's coast. The yellow portion is where the Skipjack Wind Farm will be placed.(Photo: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)

The Skipjack Wind Farm is a 120 megawatt offshore wind farm under development off the coast of Delaware and Maryland.rsted says when the project is complete the wind farm will power 35,000 homes on the Delmarva Peninsula.

More: Was Delawares connection to offshore wind born in secrecy? Depends who you ask(for subscribers)

Background: Offshore wind company wants to build on state parkland, offering upgrades in exchange

rsted is one of the world's largest offshore wind developers and is currently building several projects off the East Coast of the U.S., including off of Virginia and Delaware.

rsted is currently building the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm, which will be operational by the end of 2020, according torsted. The 12-megawatt wind farm will be located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The project is part of a larger effort by Dominion Energy to build the largest wind farm in the U.S., according to Dominion Energy.

Read or Share this story: https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/delaware/2020/07/10/orsted-backs-out-offshore-wind-connection-fenwick-island-delaware-ocean-city-maryland-skipjack/5412515002/

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rsted backs out of offshore wind connection at Fenwick Island - The News Journal

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