My take: The silver lining that accompanies the anti-wind power crusade

Much to the dismay of hard-core wind power opponents, a massive Dominion project off the coast of Virginia is moving forward. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is a proponent of a mainstream  "all of the above" approach to generation.

 By contrast, the Empire Wind project, under construction off the coast of New York and New Jersey, was briefly halted but later allowed to proceed, with vague indications that a natural gas pipeline would pass through the state. New York has a Democratic governor.

 This week, the administration ordered the halt to a Massachusetts turbine array that is 80 percent complete. The reasons for the decision remain unclear for a state with a Democrat in the governor’s office.

In the case of US Wind, we have  a Democratic governor in Maryland increasingly at odds with the president. His Republican predecessor was a staunch supporter of offshore wind in what now feels  like eons ago.

 'Later in the decade,  we'll  have a larger sample size of reports on offshore wind costs and performance, along with another opportunity to dispel the sad parade of myths and half-truths'

Against this partisan backdrop,  the US Wind decision drew praise from the Delaware Senate Republican Caucus, which fairly recently  bought into the largely unfounded tourism, visual pollution and marine life arguments of opponents. Interestingly enough, Delaware House Republicans,  who don't want to lose additional seats, have remained largely silent, although they were part of party-line votes.

Costs are a valid concern, but with  electricity costs rising and the likelihood  that expensive peak power plants could run on a regular basis we don't hear those claims  as often.

"In January, our caucus urged President Trump to halt the proposed US Wind project off our coast, citing risks to tourism, navigation, and the inland bays," the GOP  caucus stated this week. "His administration's intent to withdraw the project's federal approval is a major step toward protecting both our economy and coastal environment."

Left unanswered are options for addressing the rising demand for electric generation. Their meager menu of suggestions centers around small nukes and more natural gas-fired plants, both of which have long lead times.

Dusting off aging coal-fired power plants, like  the now-closed Indian River  site, would quickly raise electric bills, since ratepayers would have to cover losses.

Delaware Senate Democrats clapped back, claiming that killing the US Wind project will lead to higher electric bills. Democrats also contend that the other side of the aisle is cynically calling for local control over zoning for an offshore wind substation while praising the president for his intervention.

The question for the  half-dozen  GOP Senate members is whether offshore wind is a "hill to die on" as electric generation reserves dwindle.

The  silver lining is that much of the prep work has been done on offshore wind projects. As  electricity supplies tighten further,  these projects will get off the launch pad faster than other options.

In the interim, the state should move forward on solar projects in the many suitable areas outside of prime farmland. 

Later in the decade,  we'll  have a larger sample size of reports on offshore wind costs and performance, along with another opportunity to dispel the sad parade of myths and half-truths. -  Doug Rainey, chief content officer.