DAGSBORO, Del - Two Republican members of Delaware's General Assembly are hosting a forum on offshore wind energy Wednesday at Indian River High School. Senate Minority Leader Gerald Hocker, who represents District 20, is one of the hosts. His district includes Dagsboro, Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach, and other communities in southeast Sussex County that are places were alternative energy company U.S. Wind is targeting to use land for transmission lines. The lines would connect wind turbines to the power grid. The other host is Representative Ronald Gray. His district 38 covers much of the same area.
The forum is listed on the Fenwick Island Calendar of Events. According to the post, there will be representation from DNREC and U.S. Wind. The forum takes place as U.S. Wind attempts to move forward with plans to build a pier in West Ocean City that will act as a staging area for equipment needed to construct the wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean.
Last year U.S. Wind tried to entice coastal communities to get access to land for the transmission lines in exchanger for $2 million spread out over 20 years in payments.
Ocean City flat out rejected the offer, while the Delaware communities are various stages of making a final decision.
The forum is scheduled for 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.