Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Provides Updates on Markets, Pricing

The opportunities and challenges ahead for Delaware as it explores the possibilities of the state entering the growing offshore wind industry are outlined in a new report prepared by University of Delaware researchers for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin wrote to ask UD’s Special Initiative on Offshore Wind last year to conduct analysis of market trends, economic viability including future price points, supply chain and workforce development opportunities, and technical obstacles and options for the possible procurement of offshore wind to serve Delaware. The chairs and vice chairs of the General Assembly’s Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the House Energy Committee later also encouraged SIOW to conduct the study. The study’s objectives were outlined in a memorandum of understanding between DNREC and the SIOW.

The state’s Offshore Wind Working Group’s 2018 report highlighted several options for further consideration, including the state waiting for more developers to enter the market, an incremental approach to wind power, and evaluating other renewable sources. In requesting SIOW’s help, DNREC was interested in updating the opportunities and challenges of offshore wind to inform decisions by state leaders regarding the possible procurement of offshore wind power and related issues.

“While it does not address all of the options put forward by the Governor’s Offshore Wind Working Group, this new report provides insights into current market conditions, outlines policy options for Delaware, and identifies important tradeoffs based on priorities determined by the Governor and state legislature,” Secretary Garvin said. “The report, along with the findings put forward by the Offshore Wind Working Group, are essential pieces that will help ensure we make the right decisions moving forward.”

Among the report’s findings:

• Projected offshore wind power prices fall within the range of wholesale power being purchased for Delaware now.
• Offshore wind power costs less than half of Delaware’s current electricity supply when the social costs of health and climate impacts are included.
• Health damage from polluting power plants is very real, as are health savings from adding new renewable energy.

Kris Ohleth, SIOW executive director at the University of Delaware, said the report provides information on different approaches to offshore wind development.

“If Delaware decides to create a procurement for offshore wind, the state will develop its own approach based on its priorities,” Ohleth said. “This report describes potential policies and opportunities and quantifies their relative effects on the cost of electricity.”

Delaware has set a target of achieving 40% renewable energy by 2035. In addition, shifting to renewable energy is among the strategies identified in Delaware’s Climate Action Plan to reduce the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change.

DNREC will continue to study and evaluate all the options and the technical challenges involved in connecting offshore wind to the power grid. The SIOW report, as well as the previous work from the state’s Offshore Wind Working Group, can be found at de.gov/offshorewind.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy uses science, education, policy development and incentives to address Delaware’s climate, energy and coastal challenges. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov or Jim Lee, JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov

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Governor Carney and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin attended the inaugural Delaware Youth Environmental Summit (YES!) in 2020 /DNREC photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is supporting the third annual Delaware Youth Environmental Summit (YES!) on Thursday, April 14 with sponsorship and a keynote address by Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, and additional presentations by DNREC staff.

The student-led conference will be held at the University of Delaware’s Clayton Hall Conference Center in Newark and is offered free of charge, with lunch included, for Delaware high school students and educators who are advisors to school teams. Preregistration is open through April 8 at DelawareYES.org. Attendance is limited.

“Some refer to today’s young people as ‘the environmental stewards of tomorrow,’” said Secretary Garvin. “I believe they are the environmental leaders of today, and DNREC is proud to support events like YES! that seek to empower the younger generation with the tools and information to become even more effective advocates for our natural world.”

Planned by students, YES! aims to inspire youth-led action and environmental leadership through keynote speakers, breakout workshops, and nonprofit and agency exhibitors. In addition to Secretary Garvin, guest speakers include U.S. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt-Rochester, Governor John Carney (invited), Delaware Senator Stephanie Hansen, Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz, and Andrew Fagerheim, climate advocate and Columbia University student. Topics include pathways to green schools, renewable energy, factory farming, reducing plastic in schools, environmental justice, climate resiliency, electric vehicles, our diet’s impact on climate change, and environmental advocacy.

“Our goal is to inform, inspire, activate, and empower students for environmental change,” said Neha Veeragandham, lead student organizer for YES!, from Charter School of Wilmington.

Now in its third year, YES! was created by a coalition of representatives from educators at Delaware schools, non-profit environmental organizations, and public agencies to provide the opportunity for teens to meet, learn, and share their ideas on environmental issues of concern. The inaugural conference in February 2020 was attended by student teams from more than 20 Delaware schools representing all three counties and more than 270 students. In 2021, a virtual summit was held with more than 30 Delaware high schools represented.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

YES! Media Contacts: Dee Durham, CEO Plastic Free Delaware, deedurham@dca.net, 302-981-1950; or LeAnne Harvey, Green Building United, lharvey@greenbuildingunited.org, 276-608-5586

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Maryland Terrapins to Take On Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens in First Round of 2022 Women’s NCAA Tournament

Game Tips Off in College Park Tonight at 5 p.m.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware Governor John Carney and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan made a friendly March Madness wager ahead of tonight’s matchup between the No. 4 seed University of Maryland Terrapins and the No. 13 seed University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens in the first round of the 2022 Women’s NCAA Tournament. Both governors wagered crab cakes from their respective states.

“Delaware is known for being the First State, and for our incredible beaches and delicious food—like the famous crab cakes at Woody’s in Dewey Beach,” said Governor Carney. “We’re really proud of our Fightin’ Blue Hens, and look forward to their success in the tournament. Thank you to Governor Hogan for this fun challenge, and for preparing some crab cakes to send over to Delaware. Let’s go, Blue Hens!”

“Crab cakes and basketball—that’s what Maryland does,” said Governor Hogan. “Our women’s basketball program is one of the best in the nation, and I’m confident that tomorrow’s game will be a slam dunk for our Terps. I want to thank Governor Carney for agreeing to this friendly wager, and I look forward to trying some inferior Delaware crab cakes after the big win.”

The Blue Hens, led by Coach Natasha Adair, are 24-7 this season. The Terps, led by Coach Brenda Frese, are 21-8. Tip off is tonight at 5 p.m. at Xfinity Center in College Park.

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In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present “Beneath Thy Guiding Hand: A History of Women at the University of Delaware” as our Book of the Week.

– by noted Delaware historian and history professor Dr. Carol E. Hoffecker!

You can view and/or download a PDF version of this book here.

Find out more about the Delaware Heritage Commission here.

DOVER, DE (Jan. 25, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) will conduct a series of community health assessments to better understand the concerns and needs of Delaware communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and to improve the overall health in Delaware in the future. As part of Delaware’s State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), DPH has partnered with the University of Delaware’s Partnership for Healthy Communities and Epidemiology Program to conduct a survey in each of Delaware’s three counties.

Households who have been randomly selected to participate in the voluntary survey will receive a postcard in the mail followed by a survey packet with instructions on how to complete the survey online or by mail. Incentives will be provided for completed surveys. The first set of survey packets will be mailed to Kent County households this week. In late February, teams of students and community volunteers will canvas Kent County neighborhoods to knock on the doors of those selected households who haven’t completed the survey by mail or online. Similar assessments will occur for New Castle and Sussex counties over the next two months. The dates for survey mailings and canvassing by county are:

• Kent County – week of Jan 24
• New Castle County – week of Feb. 7
• Sussex County – week of Feb. 21

The SHIP helps to prioritize areas, such as chronic disease, maternal and child health, mental health, and substance use disorder, where more work is needed to make Delawareans healthier.

“Delaware’s current five-year State Health Improvement Plan covers 2018 through 2023 and was initially developed prior to the pandemic,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “Community assessments related to COVID-19 and broader conditions now impacting the health of Delawareans are critical to helping inform the current plan and guide the next state health needs assessment and planning process.”

“We are grateful that our students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience by conducting a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER), in Delaware for the first time,” said Dr. Jennifer Horney, founding director of the Epidemiology Program at University of Delaware. “It is important that these students, who are the State’s future public health workforce, embrace working directly with residents and communities to collect data that can be used for decision-making by public health leaders and emergency managers.”

In addition to community assessments being conducted at the household level to assess COVID-19 mitigation efforts, perceptions of risk, and preventative actions taken by Delaware households, two series of Community Conversations are also being planned to learn more about broader health impacts on communities. 

“These community conversations are being planned at a time when the federal government is making unprecedented investments in state, territorial, Tribal, and local governments” said Rita Landgraf, director of the Partnership for Healthy Communities at University of Delaware. “Never have communities had access to direct, flexible dollars at this scale. Not only can these resources assist with recovery from the pandemic, but they can also support communities in creating more equitable conditions for health and renewal. Working in collaboration with local partners across the state, we believe that it is possible to engage communities in dialogues that amplify their voices, increase equity, and inform community investments differently.”

The purpose of the Delaware State Health Improvement Plan is to describe how the Division of Public Health and the community it serves will work together to improve the health of Delaware’s population. The SHIP helps to prioritize areas, such as chronic disease, maternal and child health, mental health, and substance use disorder, where more work is needed to make Delawareans healthier. The National Public Health Accreditation Board explains, “Communities, stakeholders, and partners can use the SHIP to set priorities, direct the use of resources, and develop and implement projects, programs, and policies.” Effective state health improvement plans also continuously incorporate new information or data into the state health needs assessment and make updates as needed.

To learn more about Delaware’s State Health Improvement Plan, visit www.DelawareSHIP.org. 

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Anyone who is deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind or speech disabled can contact DPH by dialing 711 first using specialized devices (i.e., TTY, TeleBraille, voice devices). The 711 service is free and to learn more about how it works, please visit delawarerelay.com.

The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.