Rehoboth Beach to hold special meeting on offshore wind

The City of Rehoboth Beach will hold a special meeting Tuesday focused on offshore wind projects under development off Delaware’s coast.

According to the city, the meeting will include presentations from representatives of eight organizations as well as a question-and-answer session.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. and is open to the public, both in person and via livestream.

Click here to view the meeting agenda.

“The ultimate goal for holding this public meeting is to provide for future cognizant discussions by the mayor and commissioners so that we are able to come to an informed position on such projects off our shores,” Mayor Stan Mills said in a press release.

This meeting is not intended to solicit opinions and comments from the public in general.

“While the public is welcome at this meeting, opportunities for public opinion and comments will be provided through future public meetings,” Mills said.

Offshore wind presentations will include:

• The federal government’s role in and processes for establishing offshore wind farms — Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• The state government’s role, processes, and permitting — Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
• Proposed MarWin offshore wind farm off the Maryland coastline — Mike Dunmyer, US Wind
• Impacts of offshore wind farms on Ocean City, Maryland — Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan and City Manager Terry McGean
• Proposed Skipjack wind farm off the Delaware and Maryland coasts — Brady Walker, Ørsted
• Science-based studies on resident and visitor attitudes toward offshore wind projects — Dr. Jeremy Firestone, School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware
• Perspectives on viewshed, economic and environmental impacts, alternatives to wind energy, and critique of university studies — David Stevenson, Caesar Rodney Institute
• Cost and policy options for offshore wind — Dr. Willett Kempton, School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware.

RELATED: Offshore wind research to begin near DE Seashore State Park

Presentations and the question-and-answer session will be moderated by Bonnie Ram, director of Ram Power Consultancy and senior researcher at the University of Delaware.

The meeting will be livestreamed and recorded for later viewing anytime via the city’s online legislative portal.

Questions from members of the public can be submitted in advance by emailing [email protected]. The city asks that you indicate to whom your questions are to be directed, as well as your name and affiliation with any relevant organizations to which you belong.