The Actors Are Ready, But Is the Stage?

A deal struck a few months ago between Bluewater Wind and Delmarva Power makes it very possible that the Delaware shore will be the site of the first offshore wind farm in the United States. The project, scaled down from the original proposal, would provide 200 megawatts for the state of Delaware.

As of this moment, the project is on hold because the Production Tax Credit (PTC) that holds alternative energies like wind and solar afloat are set to expire at the end of this year. The bills to extend the credits, like Senate Bill 3335 are deadlocked and without certainty in funding, numerous projects like Bluewater’s (numerous solar projects are on hold as well) cannot take the financial risk to continue.

Here we are: at the nexus between governance, resource management, and technology. The technology to manage resources is here, and it can still develop. But, without the proper governance, it will all be for naught. Read the article that inspired this post here  and get a more in depth look at the politics of clean energy.