Cast into the wind
One group is sounding the alarm about our plunge into renewable energy.
It seems like most states have some sort of think tank that espouses conservative solutions to the problems that ail their locality, and here in Delaware that organization is the Caesar Rodney Institute, named after the man who rode all night in a thunderstorm to break a tie within its delegation as to whether Delaware should join in with the colonial call for independence from England in 1776.
While they ponder a number of subjects, one of CRI’s hottest topics right now is energy, as Delaware is ground zero (or would that be sea zero?) over the question of offshore wind. According to David Stevenson, who is their point person on energy issues, the offshore wind industry is being blown away by high costs:
The company (Ørsted) said it is “reconfiguring” Ocean Wind II in New Jersey, and its Skipjack Wind project off the coasts of Maryland and Delaware because they do not currently meet its projected financial standards. The Maryland Public Service Commission guaranteed Skipjack Wind $146.42/MWh average over twenty years and also gets to keep revenue from sales to the regional grid. Apparently, the higher guarantee is still not enough to meet the company’s financial goals. Ørsted is working to renegotiate guaranteed prices on two other projects, Sunrise Wind and Revolution Wind, that would need a 30% increase just to meet the current Ocean Wind 1 guaranteed price.
Long story short: the projections are now that it’s costing them too much to build and operate a system that’s been the subject of hundreds of objections cast from around the country. (
does a good job in compiling these in his Renewable Rejection Database.)Unfortunately, the state government doesn’t really care about consumers. One of the more laughable provisions of Senate Bill 170, which passed this spring despite some (but not enough, particularly in the Senate) GOP opposition, stated, “WHEREAS, other Atlantic states have contracted for power from offshore wind facilities and the contract prices for the electricity from Atlantic offshore wind have fallen significantly over time.”
Well, duh! This is why the supplier wants to renegotiate the rates!
As Stevenson notes, “An 800 MW project similar in size and the current guaranteed price to Skipjack 2 may raise Delaware residential electric prices by $400 to $545/year and for businesses by the tens of thousands.” Skipjack 2 is part of the two-phase project slated for the waters off Ocean City, Maryland, that’s drawn a significant amount of local opposition from government and groups like Save Our Beach View.
And I have news for you: I’m not interested in paying $40 more a month for something that’s not very reliable.
Speaking of paying more money out of our pockets, Stevenson and CRI was also on top of a misleading report from the American Lung Association being touted by proponents of a ban on ICE-powered vehicles:
Supporters of the unpopular gasoline-powered car bans and offshore wind projects are now using a misleading air quality report card to push their pocketbook-busting agenda. In its 2023 annual release, the American Lung Association (ALA) gives New Castle County, DE, a "D" for air quality. However, all three Delaware counties easily meet all of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
By the way, Kent County (Dover area) was graded with a B and here in Sussex County we have grade-A air - despite the number of poultry producers hereabouts.
And we can tell the American Lung Association is way deep in the environmentalist wacko bullshit. Get a load of what they want the federal government to do:
The passage of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act was a major victory, providing major investments to reduce air pollution and address climate change that federal agencies are now dolling out. However, these investments are only half the battle. Federal agencies must also finalize strong limits on air pollution to truly protect public health and advance environmental justice.
Maybe getting nearly 40% of your revenue from government influences your outlook?
If you compare air quality in America to what it was 50 years ago, we’ve improved a lot. We used to have smoke-belching cars and factories, and now we don’t. In that case, the difference is basically that we have swapped out coal for natural gas. Renewables haven’t played that much of a part; admittedly, some painful government regulations have. Because of them, we’ve improved our technology to the point where the law of diminishing returns has taken hold, so rather than enjoy the benefits some want to make improvements that aren’t worth the cost.
Rather than pick on our country, maybe these do-gooders should compare air quality in America to that of, say, China. (Hint: it’s night and day.) So why not demand the Chinese destroy their economy with unreliable energy instead of building close to 100 new coal plants a year? Let me answer that question for you: because objecting here doesn’t get you thrown into a re-education camp or prison (that is, unless you question election results.) They like their cushy lifestyles enough - and have enough backing from the globalist elites - to demand we change for them.
If you want a windmill or solar panel to light your house, be my guest and go off-grid. You may be better off in the long run, but I’ll take my currently reliable electricity produced from the bountiful natural gas and coal we were blessed with.