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From Aaron Nathans of the News Journal…..
NRG/Bluewater Wind got good news on a different front Monday, as the federal government moved one step closer to issuing the developer a lease on a tract off the southern Delaware shore.
The Department of the Interior announced it would open a 30-day public comment period on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of offshore renewable-energy projects off Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia.
If the department determines no significant impact off Delaware, it will move forward with Bluewater to sign the lease, said its president, Peter Mandelstam. He said he hopes to secure the lease by the end of the year.
Once a lease on these ocean blocks has been secured, construction permits can begin. Or better put: Bluewater can proceed with more detailed environmental reviews to try to get a construction permit.
And to those of us who marshaled the deal in 08, here is a reminder of how time flies… Bluewater faces a September deadline to exit the Delmarva contract or pay $2.75 million, money it would get back if it successfully completed the wind farm.
The following concern has also been noted in the Federal overview of the project. Construction will take place near an area off Delaware, where ships typically anchor. Wind development should be avoided in that area, the U.S. Coast Guard has argued.
The anchorage area, off Delaware Seashore State Park, sits on the outer edge of Bluewater’s proposed development area.
Every time I pay my electric bill to Delmarva, I sigh, knowing that had wind gotten underway faster, I’d be paying 60% less…….
Is it just me, or do those two candidate’s names sound like twitter birds…. Unfortunately there is no twitter site for the Twenty-ninth Representative District, so this post will have to do….
Again, featuring the best Delaware Voter’s Guide ever… we go to the top of the page, click voter’s guide, drop down to the Twenty-Ninth District, and click on Charles Paradee.
As is often the case with progressive candidates, the first selection is his campaign website.. I see we are to drop the Charles and call him Trey… Ok, with a quick click on Trey’s website we see….wow… Protect, Preserve, Prepare is his motto… He even breaks it down further… Protect Open Space (sounds what Sussex County needs as well)..Approximately 85% of the 29th District lies outside the Growth Zone. Despite this fact, the 29th District has been one of the fastest growing areas in the State over the past decade. As the results of the 2006 Levy Court elections show, the people of the 29th District want elected officials who are committed to protecting the rural nature of Kent County from unbridled growth. Trey will be your advocate.
Preserve the low tax structure (also needed in Sussex County)We need Representatives who are equipped to understand the complex budget issues facing our State and who are willing to make the tough decisions. Trey is a self-described fiscal conservative whose background and experience in finance and small business will serve Delaware well.
Prepare for future development–The future is bright for Delaware… if we make the right decisions! We have to recognize that people will continue to move here as long as our taxes are low and our quality of life is high. Growth will continue. Will we do it wisely or will we fall into to the same traps as our neighbors, leading us to higher property and school taxes.
Fascinating.. (This guy’s platform is right out of my post below this one, which advocates what Sussex County must do to save itself from a terrible fate… ie vote Joan Deaver)…There is a picture of him and his hunting dog setting out on the Leipsic River.. Now that is someone we can trust to keep the best parts of Delaware…the way they are now……. Thanks to the Coastal Zone Act I have been remarkably surprised at how many parts of Delaware resemble the way it looked during the colonial area… The view of many of the ships plying up the Delaware River differs little from what those first explorers must have seen. Try saying that while traveling up any other ships channel in the civilized world….
With all the controversy swirling around the Democratic Insurance Commissioners candidate’s resume, it is refreshing to see Trey posting his online… How open is that?…. We see UD all the way, and an English major to boot, always a good sign… At least we see that from having lived in Newark, that he knows what overdevelopment looks like, (unlike someone who grew up, went to school, and never left her hometown)….. We see he is familiar with stable duty; which means he already has a pair of high topped work boots to use while dealing with the lobbyists inside the halls of Legislative Hall…Being prepared he will be, as is always a former Eagle scout… We see he worked at Merrill Lynch… oops… oh so that’s why he is running for office now… 
He is a NRA member and a member of Duck’s Unlimited…He’s a Chamber of Commerce guy, licensed for insurance, securities, and financial planning….
For those of you outside of Dover who as children used to travel through it on your way to the beach… he hails from the Paradee Gas Company lineage…and…. the dude plays drums…Awesome. (I don’t think the blogger’s band has a drummer yet….)
On his issues page, the first thing catching your eye is the title…Education is more important than cheap beer… He continues with this: I purchased some beer to enjoy with friends at a cookout. As I left the liquor store, I glanced at my receipt to see that I had paid $4.85 per six-pack of beer. I wondered for a moment how much my purchase decision would have been affected had I been required to pay $4.89 per six-pack. I doubt anyone would notice an increase of less than 1 cent per individual beer. In the waning hours of the 144th General Assembly, House Bill 518 was defeated in the State Senate, days after passing in the House of Representatives. HB 518 would have increased the tax on a six-pack of beer by 4 cents, 10 cents on a bottle of wine, and 37 cents on a .75-liter bottle of liquor. The tax increases would have generated an estimated $4.5 million in revenue for our cash-strapped State. Three hours after HB 518 was defeated, our lawmakers voted to slash $10.9 million from “programs for remedial readers and students who need extra schooling in the summer” and “funding that provides extracurricular academic help, professional support for teachers and school discipline.” I am proud that my State Senator, Nancy Cook, had the courage to stand up for the children of our State by co-sponsoring HB 518, and I am terribly disappointed that the current Representative of the 29th District, Pamela Thornburg, did not.” Shame on that Pam Thornburg who puts cheap beer before the education of those needing extra schooling. Shame. Shame. (We know how she likes parties)
Other issues… we see he is for open government… (his opponent was one of the few Republicans voting against House Bill 4, much to the chagrin of one Dave Burris..) He offers us his jobs proposal where he arguably points out the ineffectiveness of his incumbent who, in answer to the question what can be done to bring jobs to Kent County… could only come up with one: sports betting at three local racetracks….
Further along he adds: While on the subject of alternative energy, I must also add that it is absolutely shameful how our current legislature has handled the proposed wind power farm. We have an opportunity to attract good paying “green collar” jobs to our State. The development of alternative energy sources is the next great growth industry for our Nation. Delaware needs to get its share of these jobs by providing a business friendly environment that will attract forward thinking
entrepreneurs and businesses.
Here is an inquiry into his family tree. And here is his answer to the News Journal Questionnaire.
Here we see his father owed the city of Dover $800.68 for a sewer tap that was annexed after he had installed it…(I didn’t even know they had computers back on September 13, 1965… lol. )
Here is a search engine report for the Heritage Gas Company, (also known as the Paradee Gas Company..)
From here, Google starts getting confused and substituting items with “parade” in place of Paradee.
Here is his endorsement from the AFL-CIO. And here is his PDD endorsement…. I don’t know how many of either live in his district…
Ok, Let’s Check Out The Other Contender
Click on Pam Thornburg and now we are ready to go.
Pam has an interesting fault.. She has a large wealth of Google data under two spellings of her name..Pam Thornburg (correct) and Pam Thornberg (incorrect).
One thing worth mentioning is that Pam Thornburg has no mention of it, but Pam Thornberg was one of the opponents of the Smoking Ban back in 2002 who introduced bills to water down or delay its taking effect….(Remember… she’s a party girl)….Here we have her at the 11th annual Delaware Standardbred Owners Association (DSOA) Awards Dinner at the Dover Sheraton Hotel on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008.
Here we have her lauded for her work with the Career Transition Project in Kilroy’s own Red Clay District for those with special needs… Hey didn’t I just mention that she voted to cut funding for them? Something like education versus cheap beer? And it was her special project that got budget sliced? Beer IS important.
From beer we go to her official state website… We see she went to high school and college and never left Dover…We see she has been in Legislature since 2000, riding in with Minner, and lists herself as a full time legislator…We see she has oversight of Corrections and she should be answering some hard questions there… since what happened, occurred on her watch…
Here is what she has proudly sponsored…
HB 85 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES.
HB 175 AN ACT TO AMEND SUBCHAPTER III OF CHAPTER 31 OF TITLE 20 OF THE DELAWARE CODE PERTAINING TO THE EXERCISE OF EMERGENCY POWERS.
HB 189 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TAX DITCHES.
HB 224 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FALSE ALARMS AND SECURITY SYSTEMS.
HB 452 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO TAX DITCHES.
HB 492 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 19 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO WORKERS’ COMPENSATION.
HR 7 COMMEMORATING JANUARY 22-26, 2007 AS DELAWARE AG WEEK.
HR 37 ESTABLISHING THE GROCERY STORE BEER SALES TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF BEER SALES IN GROCERY STORES.
HR 39 COMMEMORATING JANUARY 7-12, 2008 AS DELAWARE AGRICULTURE WEEK.
HR 46 PROCLAIMING APRIL 21 THROUGH APRIL 25, 2008 AS SMALL BUSINESS WEEK.
HS 1 FOR HB 224 AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO FALSE ALARMS AND SECURITY SYSTEMS.
Which one jumped out at you? Yep… me too…
ESTABLISHING THE GROCERY STORE BEER SALES TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF BEER SALES IN GROCERY STORES. (I guess the liquor stores close too early in Dover). That bill was laid on the table only to be strickened upon the opening of the next session… The Girl loves to party…
So much that only three of her bill got to the governor’s desk… 1) One NRA piece saying the state could never confiscate ones firearm in a Katrina style emergency; 2) one grandfathering encroachments on Tax Ditches, and 3) one fining those with false security alarms… But thanks to her… January 7 – 12 was Delaware AG (Attorney General…lol) week, and April 21 – 25th was Small Business Week… Shucks… I missed it…
Next we have the Delaware Task force that was created by Pam Thornburg who sponsored House Resolution 69,, From the minutes we see the task force met two times and then…Rep. Thornburg stated that she did not feel the task force need to meet again.
Next we have project Vote Smart synopsis of Pam Thornburg’s voting record… There we see that she did not vote on one of John Atkins bills HB 537 back in 2006, even though she was a sponsor.
We see she voted for the 2008 budget, and voted no on the bill to raise her beer 4 cents….She voted yes to collective bargaining…She voted against increasing the cigarette tax,…She voted against raising the minimum wage from $6.15….She voted yes to prevent state employees from paying dues or fair share fees without written consent….She voted “no” against a sterile needle programs, and against a ban on open alcoholic containers in one’s motor vehicle…. (That’s what the drive to the beach is for…) and she voted yes to repeal the statutes of limitation on child abuse cases and to ban the exemption of state employees from being charged under those statutes…
Next we have a wonderful little piece of satire describing here role on the House Committee of Energy in its approval hearing on Bluewater Wind’s proposal… (Like Charlie Copeland, she fought for Delmarva all the way until the final bill was signed…) The piece is appropriate.
Next we have some beautiful pictures of Pam Thornburg as she performs her daily duties as a member of the General Assembly…..
Next we see that on May 8-9th, 2006, the person representing the 29th district, got to party in some really swank digs… The Greenbrier of White Sulphur Springs.. I hope she got a chance to play a round of golf… It is one of the most beautiful courses east of California…. And if she is ever in jail, her supporters can get “Free Pam Thornburg” signs here…
Here is Pam Thornburg’s answer to the News Journal Questionnaire….
Next we have Nancy from Delaware Way’s description showing Pam Thornburg as a tool of Delmarva Power in its battle against Bluewater Wind… It would be wise to remember that even after it was proven that Bluewater Wind cost much less than Delmarva could offer from other sources… Pam Thornburg emphatically backed Delmarva Power against the wishes of 90% of her constituency….She is a special interest legislator… (No doubt, Delmarva Power threw better parties, thanks of course to her fellow party-er... Joe Farley…)
In an effort to stifle John Kowalko, (totally ineffective) she used Joe Farley, lobbyist for Delmarva Power to filabuster most of the time allotted for discussion.. More from Delaware Liberal…
We see another party this time closer to home.. December 2-4, 2005. Minutes of the Kent County Transportation meeting from March 2, 2005 .... are here…
Here, much more pertinent, are the opening minutes of the early meetings of the SEU, that infamous board which tried to scarf $100,000,000 into McDowell’s hands… and still might… A piece is ready for the new session which as shown last June, is full of some shady dealings…..
We see why she is the way she is… As the state chairman of ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council, she shares with them a common belief in limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty. Just to name some of the original founders, two of which were Henry Hyde (he liked to party as well) and Jesse Helms… But before we go on… isn’t the whole problem we are facing with our economy the result of the policies that organizations like ALEC sneak through our legislative bodies? Isn’t what we are feeling this economic session the result of deregulating and not supervising adequetely those in charge of the money… Doesn’t it seem reasonable that someone who is so into a failed policy of the past, would do our state much more harm than good?
And then we have this.
And from here we see that the Twenty-Ninth District is split 40% Democrats, 35% Republicans, and 25% other.. The key for both candidates is the other…..
The Inevitable Conclusion
That depends entirely upon you…. however if you want my synopsis, it would be that we need forward thinkers now, and not someone playing around in the past to dally in “little” things… I saw Thornburg in action during the Bluewater Wind controversy and it was scary… Why someone would hurt the citizens under their care, who as you all know were struggling so hard to keep up with their utility payments, support the entity beating them down, and be glib and laugh about their plight sarcastically…. I didn’t know people like that ever got elected…. A “small business week” sounds nice, but really…. what does it do… what does it accomplish… how does it make anyone’s life even a little better?
The twenty-ninth district is so lucky to have someone like Paradee who reflects their values, but looks to carry those values into the future rather than return them to the past…. There are some trying times ahead… someone tackling new problems with an antiqued set of tools is not what the twenty-ninth needs right now… Thornberg’s philosophy dates back to 1973… as a nation we have moved on since then…
Every two years the Legislature gets shuffled… (but unfortunately not as much lately as it has needed)… Pam Thornburg has, on every one of the great issues that affected this state’s positioning of itself among its neighbors, been on the wrong side…… She was against cheap clean power from Bluewater Wind almost chasing away 500 high paying jobs…… She is against open government; she voted against House Bill 4. She way back when, was against the smoking ban, in a state with one of the highest cancer rates in the nation for heavens sakes!… On the other hand if it involves gambling, liquor, beer, wine, cigarettes, open containers in motor vehicles, or any other vice… whoopi… she is all for it…(or so her record would make it seem….) That’s the small town mentality…that comes from never opening ones horizons….
One thing is certain. Someone good needs to fill that post…Someone forward looking, smart, conservative, family oriented, knowledgeable in business, conservation, the locality, and interested in preserving what is best of western Kent County. Protect, Preserve, Prepare. The twenty-ninth district could do no better than put Trey Paradee into the House of Representatives on November 4th….
Off the top of my head, the following are a synopsis of battles being waged over the election districts of Delaware…
Property Rights:
Do developers have more of a right to your property than you do?
Do property owners have any right to control what happens in their neighborhood, especially alongside their parcels of land, if it directly impacts those very parcels?
Do manufactured housing owners have any rights to the rented property under which they built?
Open Government
Should caucuses and every meeting be open to the public?
Should all expenses be posted on line?
Should all budget and bond bills have 3 days scrutiny before being voted upon by the entire legislature?
State Budget:
Can we possibly cut spending any more, or are we finally forced to raise taxes this session?
Should the State augment local school spending to bring teaching up to standard?
Do we need to spend for more auditors?
How can we do what we do …. cheaper?
Education
Should we continue with Charter Schools?
Should we eliminate the DSEA or whittle down their influence, as voice by Copeland and Lee?
Should Wilmington become it’s own school district, and busing inner city kids out to the suburbs be eliminated?
Environment:
Should we hold those accountable who did not support the Bluewater Wind deal, and who threw up roadblocks at every attempt made to force our electric bills to go down?
Should we do better at holding large corporations accountable to environmental regulations, at the risk of losing jobs to another state which is less stringent?
Should we legislate environmental laws tougher, or more lenient due to economic reasons”
Morality:
Should we reward someone with office, who 1) went to Seacrets, 2) included his legislative id with his driver’s license when pulled over, 3) drove 30 miles in Delaware while intoxicated (oh, he didn’t kill someone?), 4) cause his wife to call for back up in a domestic matter, 5) ask (threaten?) the babysitter not to tell a soul about what she had witnessed?
If he wins, can we still call Millsboro “God’s Country”, and can it still keep the insigna, In God We Trust, up on the corner bank?
“Oh what a great guy… Gee, I’ll think I’ll vote for him…”
Everyone in public office is a great guy… Human beings who wear their assholes on their sleeves, don’t win public contests and therefore, by default, don’t move up to the next step. If a person has been elected to an office, then he obviously can come across as a great guy… not only that, he has to…
Because of this necessary trait, everyone who is running for office this political season…is a great guy…. . the ‘great guy’ characterization on both sides, balances each other and equals each other out… Therefore, it is important to guess what a candidate will do once he is elected into office, based on what they did way back when they weren’t in office…
So when Mike Matthews says Atkins is going to win… and bases it on two reports he received from one meeting that took place near Millsboro… since the subject is none other than Atkins, it gets our attention.
This poster gushes that Atkins is a good ole boy and Hastings seems stiff in comparison…
he *Atkins) seems like a genuinely likable guy. he’s got the personal “magic” that’s critical to campaigning – that ability to joke around and connect with people on an informal level. i don’t know if Hastings has it. seems pretty stiff.
Flashback… where have we heard that before?
Bush and Gore 2000, that’s where… Two weeks of “Which Candidate Would You Rather Have A Beer With?” and a two weeks of discussing why Gore is stiff ( How do you tell Al Gore from the Secret Service agents protecting him… He’s the stiff one…)… and one week talking about his convention smooch (with tongue), mouth to mouth with Tipper…and throughout the first debate: all issues pertinent to our nation, were swept under the rug, in order to discuss the problem with sighing…
I guess then American’s deserve what they got… The lesson which should be learned, is that which candidates stand for and who they profess to support, really does matter…. It impacts what happens to you. It makes a world of difference in your next four years…
So Atkins versus Hastings… Some are already taking a page from Bush/ Gore and trying to frame that contest as about being the friendlier person…?
Here, in that cone of silence, are some of the topics that are not being discussed?
Who of the two, is the more moral person?
Who of the two, is the strongest against the cancer clusterfuck NRG?
Who of the two, is an advocate for Bluewater Wind?
Who of the two, is an advocate for better schools?
Who of the two, is an advocate for smarter, not stupider growth?
Who of the two, makes good decisions when required?
Who of the two, is guided by a moral compass, and not by what is best for him?
Who of the two, even cares that mercury lies on NRG’s property?
Who of the two, even cares whether NRG kills tons of fish, each time it discharges?
Who of the two, even cares whether women have needs of their own?
Who of the two, believes in open government, and who of the two, has Seacrets to hide?
Ladies and Gentlemen of the 41st… Let’s not repeat the same mistake this nation made in 2000 when it elected Bush? We knew what he was going to do… he told us! But we elected him anyway?
Ladies and Gentlemen of the 41st…. Don’t do it twice to yourself? Take a moment to think for once… Take a moment to look closely and remember just what went on before…..
When John Atkins was a legislator, he used his position to oppose statewide recycling.
He used his position on the House Natural Resources & Environmental Management committee to oppose environmental progress.
Atkins helped delay the control of emissions from “lightering” operations in the Delaware Bay (Senate Joint Resolution 6).
Atkins helped block “pollution control strategies” for the Inland Bays (Senate Concurrent Resolution 21).
Atkins helped block limits on unwise rebuilding of beach front houses destroyed in storms (Senate Bill 377).
Atkins presented himself to us as the loyal servant of NRG, owners of the mega-polluting Indian River Power Plant, and he is campaigning in support of another coal-burning power plant at the same location.
Even though Atkins chaired the House Corrections Committee he felt that the Department of Corrections should provide only the most basic health care services to inmates. As the crises within the prison health-care system blew wide open, Atkins wanted to keep it under his rug….“I do not favor federal intervention or investigations.
On October 29, 2006, Atkins was arrested for the “terroristic threatening” of his wife after an argument “became physical.” ( He contends he was drunk)
Atkins chaired a “Delaware Poultry Issues Task Force” that recommended rolling back Delaware’s anti-incineration laws. “Mommy… why does it smell like poop burning outside?”
And one citizen lobbyist, while visiting Legislative Hall, looked into Atkins Office and saw a life size cutout of George W. Bush on display! If there were ever birds of a feather?…..
Will Sussex County go the same way as did the United States in 2008? South?
Not if they elect Greg Hastings, Sunday School teacher and current legislator representing the 41st District, to his second term….
Back when he used to stand for people, Copeland used to have weekly sessions and serve doughnuts.
What would Deluca’s doughnut get together be like, were he ever to have one? Imagine a crowd awaiting him, filling a certain coffee shop, and in walks Tony DeLuca…..
“Mr Deluca, Mr. Deluca…”
“Hey, Tony, Hey Tony, can you give me an answer on….”
“Senator, Senator…..”
Everyone’s hand is up with a question, clamoring like members of the press for tidbits of information..
The “talk to the hand” hand comes out and the crowd quickly silences, desperate for any forthcoming words of wisdom…. he completes a transaction at the counter cash register, and turns to the crowd…
“Ok, who has the first question”……. Hands go wild……
“Mr Deluca, Mr. Deluca…”
“Hey, Tony, Hey Tony, can you give me an answer on….”
“Senator, Senator…..”;
The finger points at one. “Yes, you.” the nod says…..
Mr. Deluca, you negotiated a deal between Delmarva Power and Bluewater Wind…. How do you respond to accusations that instead of saving Delaware’s citizens money on electricity, you, by assisting in the drop from 300MWh down to 200MWh of contracted power….. you actually increase the cost all Delawareans will pay because they will have to pay for the 100MWh of power supplied by expensive fossil fuels..:
Deluca responds: ” My answer to you is that, what less than one week from now,… we will be moving forward onto the next step of achieving offshore wind, gathering permits. We will not be waiting for a court case to decide the issue for us…. Furthermore by dropping 100MWH, Delmarva Power has become a willing partner, and not some unwanted spouse bonded only by a shotgun wedding…..”
“Hey, Tony, Hey Tony, can you give me an answer on your vote to seize weapons under a Delaware State of Emergency …
Deluca speaks. “Your question makes it sound like I voted to allow for the seizure of weapons by our state law enforcement officers were there ever to be a national emergency equal to that of the size of Katrina in New Orleans….. Nothing could be further from the truth…. I voted… and it passed, to change our state’s code so that the state “could NOT” take one’s weapon were an emergency to occur. In times when our police protection is inadequate, to take one’s sole protection away, violates every citizen’s right to life…….”
“But Senator, Senator…..You voted for… and it passed, Senate Bill 263. How do you answer criticism that this dumps all the revenue garnered through rate caps, right into the SEU committee chaired by Harris McDowell?? “
Tony retorts: “Yes it does. But the SEU as it stands today is illegal. It has expired. In the future the board will be appointed by the governor, divided up accordingly. It is our intention that the money flowing in will go to help pay for heat to low income families throughout the state of Delaware…as well as help other individuals achieve energy independence with establishing either solar, wind or geothermal generators on their property…. Hopefully Governor Minner will not appoint McDowell. I’m sort of hoping she chooses me….”
“Mr Deluca, Mr. Deluca…” You voted for full day kindergarten without deciding where money was to come to pay for it…. Do you regret your decision?”
To be honest, yes, I do. At that time I believed we would grow our way into it… our revenues were climbing, and without raising additional taxes, we could have afforded it… As you well know, those times are now gone.
“Hey, Tony, Hey Tony, can you tell us why you were the only one who voted no the first time that the Osborne Eminent Domain bill went through the legislature”
“Sure, I knew ahead of time that it would be vetoed and never pass. I did not change my vote. Others changed theirs in order to be on my side…. Many of my constituents will work on that site. I voted to protect their jobs….”
“Senator, Senator…..”: Why are you not in favor of Karen Peterson’s oven government FOIA bills?
He said; “If that bill was in place….I couldn’t do…..what I currently do……. That’s enough ladies and gentlemen….It’s been fun. Let’s do this again sometime……Oh, and if you haven’t already done so, make sure you vote on the best written blogs of 2008 so far. The deadline is coming up soon……And now if you don’t mind…..I have to eat my doughnuts. See ya Labor and Lobbyists….”
;”But Mr Deluca, Mr. Deluca…”
“Hey, Tony, Hey Tony, can you give me an answer on….”
“Senator, Senator…..”
Photo courtesy of Mars Candies and Sugarstand,
The Interior Department Division of Mining and Minerals, the department given charge of Federally regulating alternative energy sources off the Continental Shelf, released their regulations just minutes before the Delaware PSC met to determine the outcome of Bluewater Wind.
Announced by Bluewater Wind at the meeting, and minutes later scooped on the Rick Jensen show, this alleviates one of the holding blocks that before the agreement transpired in Deluca’s office, would have cast doubts on Bluewater’s ability to deliver the power when scheduled.
With this announcement, that no longer is a problem…..
As we speak, energy gurus are pouring over the four hundred sixty page document,
Obviously we will hear the details little by little over a long period of time….
(As for the title and picture, I was hungry and MMS reminded me of the best candy EVER!)
At 1:00 this afternoon in the auditorium inside 861 Silver Lake Drive, the Delaware Public Service Commission met to discuss that infamous proposal hammered together in Senator Deluca’s office.
The overall theme of the meeting could be lifted from Arnette McRae’s line of ……..”its been an extrodinary journey….” Starting back with the April passage of House Bill 06 two years ago, ending twenty-four days from now, on July 31st when the four groups meet one final time to vote to fulfill of that piece of legislation…..
It was a love fest, with everyone loving everyone else…. Delmarva loves Bluewater…Bluewater loves Delmarva, both love the PSC, everyone loves the public, who became the heroes of the day. Praise abounds for Deluca. Hmm. There wasn’t any dished towards Markell, Protack, or Carney……
In Dover, another public hearing will occur on the 17th of this month. Comments on line will remain open until July 25th. The vote will be held on the 31st.
A couple of wrinkles came out in the hearing as well as some good news. Wrinkle one: the 200 MWh version does not satisfy the growing demand downstate. It is too little and is spread over too wide a base to have any effect on adding energy to the southern part of the grid. Also, because of this deficit, whether or not to go forward with a backup generation facility, either by NRG or Connectiv will likely cause some controversy, and possibly stall an otherwise done deal.
Hats off to WDEL who broke the story that the MMS division of the Department of Interior has officially ok’d the building of offshore wind facilities and has issued a forty page memorandum which is so new, that not even I have had time to look it over. ( I believe it was released at 1:00 this afternoon as well)
So where do we go from here?
We need to make sure that a considerable number of people show up on July 17th to represent the overwhelming support that Delawareans exhibited throughout this “journey” in support of wind…..
We need to debate whether or not back up energy is required.
We need to smooth passage of the high voltage MAPP transmission lines which will decrease the transmission cost of exporting wind driven electricity, thereby making a larger Bluewater Wind Farm more commercially viable to other areas besides ours…
With all the pieces in place, we lastly need to push for the largest wind farm possible off of Rehoboth, supplying DC with enough energy to eventually wean us off of carbon fuel sources.
From this little room, the wheels have started to roll………
