On Dec. 17, Sussex County Council voted to deny the construction of an electrical substation for US Wind’s offshore wind project. This decision was made despite the substation site being zoned for heavy industrial use, its location near an existing substation, and a unanimous vote recommending approval from the planning & zoning commission. Council raised concerns that the project’s benefits – and the power it generates – would flow to Maryland rather than Sussex County. This concern, however, highlights a misunderstanding of how the electric grid works.
Large power plants generate electricity, which then travels through high-capacity cables to a substation. The substation’s job is to adjust the electricity’s voltage so it can safely join the power grid – a huge network of interconnected lines that transmits power wherever it’s needed.
Almost all power plants – from the Indian River coal plant to your neighbor’s rooftop solar panels – feed into this shared grid. Once electricity enters, it flows to the nearest demands, like your house or the school down the street. The power from one source mixes with others, and there’s no way to distinguish electricity based on where it is generated. This means the wind farm’s electricity will contribute to powering homes and businesses throughout Sussex County, Delmarva and beyond. There are no dedicated lines specifically directing wind energy to the Maryland-Delaware border…