Vice President Biden Visits Alma Mater; Lauds University's Landmark Wind Power Research

Daniel Parry, OAR Public Affairs

Vice President Joseph Biden visited the University of Delaware, May 4, 2009, to tout the school’s landmark research of offshore wind-power implications and feasibility, an achievement in which Delaware Sea Grant had a major role.

Building on President Obama’s message of job prosperity, economic growth and environmental responsibility, Biden, who graduated from the university in 1964, asserted the university’s position to fulfill these needs.

Combining ocean geology, air-sea interaction, marine biology, sociology, law, and electrical expertise, the University of Delaware is skilled in the analysis, policies, and stewardship skills necessary to guide state and federal governments towards accessing this clean and efficient energy resource.

Dean Nancy Targett welcomes Vice President Biden to the University of Delaware’s Memorial Hall. Source: University of Delaware

The university’s Center for Carbon Free Power Integration College of Marine and Earth Studies (which includes Sea Grant) conducts research and education on offshore wind power and also compiled the 2005 Assessment of Delaware Offshore Wind Power.

“Delaware Sea Grant had a catalytic role in the development of this work,’ said Nancy Targett, dean, University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies and Director, Delaware Sea Grant. “The investigators provided science/policy-based information to the Delaware Public Service Commission in advance of its decision to sign the first U.S. power purchase agreement for offshore wind.”

Unlike power generated from fossil fuels, wind power does not produce harmful emissions responsible for global warming, acid rain or upper-atmosphere ozone.

The University of Delaware is committed to renewable energy and is the first in the U.S. to offer courses exploring offshore wind power.

Wind-turbine and sailboat Source: University of Delaware

The University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program is funded by the National Sea Grant College Program in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce; the State of Delaware; and the University of Delaware. The program is administered with input and guidance from the Sea Grant Advisory Council, whose members hail from marine-oriented business and industry, resource management and engineering firms, state government, public interest groups, the pre-college educational sector, and the media.

The University of Delaware, in conjunction with the National Sea Grant Program, promotes the responsible use, conservation, and management of marine and coastal resources through high-quality research, education and outreach activities that benefit the public and the environment.

May 19, 2009