The Bluewater Wind offshore wind farm proposal exploits the Delaware Renewable Portfolio Standard Act intended to foster the use of renewable energy sources.

The proposal threatens the deregulation offered by the Delaware Electric Utility Retail Customer Supply Act. EURCSA enables competition to foster innovation and efficiency in the generation, delivery and use of electric power.

To qualify as an electricity supplier, BWW has to offer a supply that meets customer needs all the time, not just to the extent the wind blows. The BWW proposal drafts Delmarva as its supply partner, reducing supplier competition.

Further, Delmarva's SOS customers may lose the right to choose another supplier if the BWW take-or-pay wind and Delmarva backup power partnership proves expensive. They could be locked in for 25 years.

The Delaware PSC Staff Report makes clear that BWW offers wind power at higher cost than most alternatives, much higher if escalator and delay risks are realized. BWW proposes to deliver only 42 percent of the 300MW peak wind power offered on an annual basis. Available wind power may exceed SOS customer needs at certain times while meeting a small fraction of the needs at others. The backup power required to meet consumer demand when needed is expensive since generating capacity must built and reserved for dispatch on short notice.

These factors led the PSC Staff to reject the BWW proposal as too expensive and contrary to EURCSA goals.

Delawareans deserve and have paid for the right to select a power supplier. Forcing Delmarva to partner with BWW and forcing only Delmarva SOS customers to absorb the results is risky and unfair. Bluewater should compete by developing its own backup power arrangements to become a qualified energy supplier that Delaware customers can choose, Delmarva would be required to deliver the power.