This past Friday 1/12/24 at 2pm the parking situation in downtown Bethany Beach resembled a typical summer day, except that folks were clad in winter coats instead of shorts and t shirts. It was exciting to see so many citizens parking and converging on the entrance of the Bethany Beach town hall, with one mission in mind, to learn more about the 20 year deal the mayor and town council are contemplating with foreign owned US Wind. Once inside, the energy was palpable with a feeling of deep concern and comraderie. Citizens were very polite and respectful as many entered, looking for seating or a place to stand, careful not to obstruct another's view. This meeting was PACKED with standing room only in the back and If you have been to the Bethany Beach Town Hall then you would know that it is a large room and there were easily over 100 people there. Watch a recording of Bethany Beach Town Hall meeting here.
Opening Remarks
The official meeting was opened by Mayor Rosemary Hardiman with a poll inquiring how many present had heard about the meeting from this 38th DRCP Publication, with many hands raised. Mayor Hardiman then made a point of stating that there were falsehoods in the recent posts of the 38th DRCP, specifically the reported connection between the proposed payments from US Wind to the town of Bethany Beach and the temporal coincidence of the proposed defunding of beach replenishment by DNREC, a major supporter of the US Wind offshore wind turbine project. Whether this two-pronged financial incentive and pressure, carrot and stick, was premediated or in any way connected or not, there remains that there are two financial forces at play here that are occurring simultaneously and the optics are such that there appears to be a connection. Mayor Hardiman stated there was no connection.
Mayor Hardiman then followed her opening with a statement that bringing offshore wind turbines off the coast of Delaware was a "DONE DEAL" and that there would be NO discussion of the merits or cons of offshore wind turbines and that the meeting was only to discuss the proposed contract between US Wind and the Towns of Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey and Henlopen Acres, as these were the towns who's names were written on the contract.
The beach towns of Lewes and Fenwick Island were conspicuously absent from the contract, which received applause from the audience.
So if you are wondering how these town mayors and council members are leaning regarding how they will vote, you may consider the fact that these towns' names are already on the contract. But NOTHING is a done deal. Were slaves in Egypt a done deal? We The People are not helpless victims to a foreign overlord! Time to go, US Wind!
The US Wind Spokesperson
After Mayor Hardiman went on to explain that there would be no discussion of the merits and cons of offshore wind turbines, the US Wind spokesperson, Michael Dunmeyer, went on to give a lengthy presentation extolling the virtues of offshore wind turbines. Mr. Dunmeyer also discussed climate change, acidic oceans, dying fish and rising water levels and how wind turbines were part of the solution to keep the Delmarva peninsula afloat. Dunmeyer became emotional when he expressed his belief that Delaware will be under water in the foreseeable future, unless US Wind offshore turbines could be installed. Michael should consider moving to the Rocky Mountains for his own peace of mind, poor guy.
Following the pedantic presentation by the US Wind representative, the Mayor allowed questions from the audience. Members of the public who attempted to make comments were interrupted and reprimanded for not posing their comments in the form of a question. Who knew the meeting was going to be a Jeopardy episode! But once the group got through that awkwardness, questions flew for two hours! Questions were relevant, intelligent, backed with statistics and facts. The Contract was questioned as to how could the Mayor and the council ever feel comfortable agreeing to a such a one-sided contract, with all the benefits on the side of foreign owned US Wind, a subsidiary of Italian based Renexia SpA, part of Toto Holdings. All questions and comments were answered by Michael Dunmeyer with the skill and politesse of a professional filibusterer. Not ONE point by citizens was taken to heart or tabled for any consideration by US Wind or the Town Council.
When the council was directly asked as to how the council was leaning toward accepting or rejecting this contract with US Wind, the Mayor refused to answer the question, saying only they were not voting on the issue that day. But if we had to judge by the softball questions the council members inquired of their featured speaker, US Wind, which was similar to watching a CNN reporter ask President Biden what his favorite ice cream flavor was, you would have your answer which way they were leaning. One example of a snowball question posed by one town council member was when the council member asked Michael Dunmyer where he grew up. Not the most relevant question regarding a 20 year gag order and $2 million dollars.
Some Of The Questions
Questions opened up with a question from Sussex County Councilman John Rieley:
Q: Rieley: Why has there been no outreach to inform residents in Sussex County who do not reside in the beach towns?
A: Dunmeyer: "The reality is that you need points of contact that you can work with rather than everyone individually but the deal with the state I think would start to get into the benefits of some of those unincorporated areas."
What????
Q: In exchange for not being permitted to voice any concerns or complaints for 20 years regarding the US Wind offshore wind turbine project, what is the relative gain of the US Wind annual $100,000 payment relative to the annual income of Bethany Beach?
A: Treasurer: The financial gain to the town of Bethany Beach, of $100,000 a year, would be "less than 1% of the budget."
38th Interject: the projected loss in property value estimation for many homes in Bethany Beach would be $100,00 for EACH affected home, if offshore wind turbines would be built offshore Bethany Beach.
Q: If the stipend to be paid out to Bethany Beach is such a "measly" amount, then why would the town give up their rights to speak out against US Wind and the project?
A: Mayor Hardiman: "We are not giving up any rights ... until construction is complete we can withdraw at any time if we wish to criticize as a body or if we wish to bring any type of a suit."
Q: Will a third party attorney review this contract?
A: Mayor Hardiman indicated that the town council would seek the guidance of an outside attorney to review the proposed contract.
Q: Could US Wind be sold to another entity? Michael Dunmeyer's reply was that US Wind would not sell their interests to a "communist" country.
Q: Is US wind a foreign shell company as it was incorporated in Delaware in 2023?
A: Dunmeyer: "US Wind is an American Company."
38th Interject:This statement is in contrast to the Wikipedia site on US Wind.
Q: Do wind turbines kill birds?
A: Dunmeyer: They fly around the wind turbines.
Q: Have there been any studies and will there be any studies on the impact to the horseshoe crab sanctuary where horseshow crabs spawn in the Indian River bay where the high voltage underwater cables are supposed to be laid?
A: Dunmeyer failed to answer the question and deferred with explaining the spawning cycle of horseshoe crabs and affects of EMF frequencies on marine life, and EMF pulses from toasters, phones and laptops.
38th Interject: No there have NOT been any studies performed specifically on the Delaware inland bays horseshoe crabs.
Q: What would be the electricity bill savings for Delaware residents if US Wind furnished power from offshore wind turbines?
A: Dunmeyer confirmed the savings to Delaware residents would be $9 dollars a YEAR. That statement was met with gasps and laughter.
Q: Why can't US Wind bring the high voltage power cables ashore in Ocean City since this is a Maryland deal?
A: Dunmeyer: "Ocean City's determination not to let us land there is not why we're not landing in Maryland."
This response was also met with laughter. But Delaware being sold out for peanuts by our own government is nothing to laugh at.
What Michael Dunmyer also revealed, in contrast to the statement made by Mayor Hardiman, is that bringing US Wind offshore wind turbines to the coast of Delaware is NOT a done deal, that the Governor, DNREC Secretary, BOEM, the Coast Guard and Department of Defense could still withhold their approval and put a quash on this from happening. However, later in the comment forum of this evening, Dunmeyer reversed this statement when one resident asked the most pertinent question of all:
Q: “What can We the People do to stop US Wind from erecting these offshore wind turbines?”
A: Dunmeyer's answer was, “Nothing. There’s nothing you can do.”
So WHICH statement by Dunmeyer is the truth? Are US Wind offshore wind turbines a "done deal" or not, as per US Wind representative, Michael Dunmeyer.
Desire to Vote Out The Mayor And Council Members
What we also heard form the residents in attendance was the desire to vote the mayor and current town council officers OUT of office, if they voted to go along and accept the contract with US Wind for Bethany Beach to remain silent for 20 years over the project in exchange for annual payments from US Wind.
Why Offshore Wind? The Biden Factor
The Biden Administration has made offshore wind a key component in tackling climate change, therefore democrat Governor Carney and DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin are accommodating this edict.
How New Jersey Successfully Sued To Keep Wind Farms Off the Coast of NJ
The case is County of Cape May v. United States, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, case No. 1:23-cv-21201. Read the case for yourself here:
The County of Cape May and several local tourism and fishing business groups sued the U.S. Department of the Interior in New Jersey federal court, seeking to stop construction on Danish developer Orsted’s multi-billion dollar Ocean Wind project. They challenged federal approvals for a major wind farm in U.S. waters off the state's coast, saying the project’s turbines and construction will harm endangered animals like whales, kill birds and impact local tourism.
The county said the government violated federal environmental review and endangered species protection laws when it approved this offshore wind project.
What helped to give the NJ plaintiff group standing in court: were the many public comments that were filed.
The plaintiffs actively participated in the public comment and review process for the Ocean Wind 1 Project, including by providing comprehensive comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the Incidental Harassment Authorizations, and Federal Consistency Certification for the Project. Clean Ocean Action’s primary concerns over the Project and its construction stem from the lack of fair presentation and assessment of alternatives; the dearth of baseline studies; the failure to require a responsible pilot project; the significant adverse impacts to benthic resources, marine mammals, finfish, invertebrates, essential fish habitats, water quality, birds, coastal habitats and fauna, cultural resources,
What Can Delaware Concerned Citizens Do To Stop US Wind?
Call all voters who reside in Bethany Beach and South Bethany to inform them of the pro-turbine contract that Mayor Hardiman and the beach town council members are contemplating accepting. Email info@38thdrcp.com for more information on how to do this.
Email the Bethany Beach and South Bethany Mayors. See emails here.
Help the 38th DRCP create and print post cards to mail to concerned parties.
If you would like to contribute to the cost of printing post cards, please donate here. We appreciate your activism!
Plan to attend the January 20th Hearing in Ocean City on offshore Wind Farms, more info to follow.
Plan to attend the next meeting of the 38th District Republican Club with featured speaker, Caesar Rodney Institute Director, David Stevenson, Monday, February 26th, South Coastal Library, Bethany Beach 6:30pm. Topic: US Wind offshore Wind Farm.
Upcoming Coastal Town Meetings
Bethany Beach Town Council
Meets the third Friday of every month, 2:00 pm
The next Town Council meeting is scheduled for Friday January 19th. An agenda item to vote on the contract with US Wind is not on the agenda.
The next Bethany Beach Town Council meeting is scheduled for Friday February 16th and the Council must publish 7 days prior to this meeting any votes to occur.
South Bethany Town Council
Meets the second Friday of very month, 10:00 am.
Next meeting is Thursday, January 25th, 10:00 am, and can also be joined via Zoom.
Following Town Council meeting will be Friday, February 9th.
Dewey Beach Town Council
Meeting scheduled for this Friday 2:00 pm
Dewey Beach LifeSaving Station 1 Dagsworthy Ave Dewey Beach, DE 19971
South Bethany Town Council meets the
If you like what we do and what we represent, please make an investment in the 38th District Republican Club, PAC. For your convenience you may now make your investment and pay online. We thank you for choosing to keep the 38th District Republican Club a success and a beaming light of conservative values in Delaware!
Please email any corrections to info@38thdrcp.com .
Delaware Bills We Will Be Following
HB 230 - advancing the medical experimentation and sterilization of minors
HB 110 - taxpayer-funded abortion
HB 140 - legalizing assisted suicide
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