John Carney

Energy, Conservation & Environment

A Vision for Renewable Energy

John's vision for Delaware is of our state becoming a national leader in renewable energy. His support and work on behalf of the Bluewater Wind project, as well as his efforts to introduce solar energy to Delaware's agriculture industry, are just two examples of the great potential and benefits that renewable energy can bring to our state.

John firmly believes that in the years ahead, as the demand for renewable energy sources increases, the wind power industry will explode, both in this region and across the country. John’s leadership was instrumental in the agreement reached between Bluewater Wind and Delmarva Power to move forward with plans to build an offshore wind farm in Delaware. With the commitments John was able to secure from Bluewater Wind's parent company, Babcock & Brown, to locate their regional hub in Delaware, as well as partner with a two-year college to develop a training program, Delaware is well-positioned to capitalize on new opportunities.

Renewable energy is both a challenge and an opportunity for Delaware. As Governor, John wants to make the most of this chance to get in on the ground floor of an industry that will provide clean energy at a stable price. Delaware has a lot to gain, both environmentally and economically, from renewable energy sources, and it will take a Governor like John with foresight and leadership to make us an example for the rest of the country.

John's plan for bringing renewable energy to Delaware includes:

Keep Expanding Wind Power

· Develop a regional approach for wind. As Governor, Carney will immediately begin working on a regional approach to wind and reach out to the Governors of our neighboring states. Maryland and New Jersey are looking at off-shore wind projects and both could use the hub that is established here in Delaware.

· Direct the Delaware Economic Development Office to focus on recruiting companies that manufacture the components of the wind farms. There are a growing number of companies that make the turbines, gears and blades that are needed to construct these farms that are looking for a strategic location for their business. Direct the Office of Management and Budget to purchase a portion of the electricity state government uses from energy generated by the wind farm.

Focus on Solar Power

· Expand solar opportunities in the poultry industry. A little more than a year ago, the Science and Technology Council, which Carney chairs, implemented a pilot project on an Allen Family Foods farm outside of Laurel. The project made sense on a number of levels. First, using renewable, clean energy is good for the environment. Second, with poultry farmers working with slim margins, energy prices rising and the cost of feed escalating, solar has the potential to make agriculture more profitable for farmers over the long term. Carney will make it a priority to expand this program.

· Monitor and leverage the results of DuPont/UD study. A University of Delaware-led consortium has developed new technology to dramatically increase the efficiency of solar cells. This will move us toward taking this promising research and making it commercially viable.

· Work with the legislature to address deed restrictions. One of the challenges that has already been identified with residential use of solar power is the deed restrictions that exist in many of our developments. Many homeowners cannot install solar panels on their property – or a wind turbine, for that matter. As Governor, Carney will bring the interested parties together and find a solutions that allows Delawareans to take advantage of solar technology.

Advancements in Bio-Fuels

· Direct the Delaware Economic Development Office to Monitor the advances in bio-fuels and identify what would be best for Delaware. Carney will have DEDO work with DuPont – or another company in the field – to establish a presence in Delaware, and look to build on the progress in the technology of bio-fuels from non-food, cellulosic materials.

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Power

· Work with the Congressional Delegation to identify opportunities. The Military uses fuel cell technology to power any number of things, particularly when they are out in the field. Opportunities exist for research grants and military contracts.

· Support the work of Delaware State and the University of Delaware ; Both schools are doing substantive work on fuel cell technology, and Carney believes we need to support them in whatever way we can to help build that bridge between research and commercialization.

· Identify effective partnerships. Most people who have heard of fuel cells identify them with automobiles. That has been where much of the publicity around the research in the area has focused, but there are other opportunities. For instance, DuPont has worked on using this technology to produce replacement batteries for computers. There are a number of positives with these fuel cells: They have a longer life, they don’t build up heat like conventional batteries do, and they have none of the environmental concerns of normal batteries. With a wide array of potential uses, DEDO and the state need to be ready to support new partnerships that may emerge as the technology progresses.

John's Plan for a Cleaner, Healthier Environment for Delaware

We need to change the way we do business and devote more energy and attention to cleaning up our environment and protecting our natural resources. Here in Delaware we have the ideas, the talent, and the energy to make that happen. But it will take strong leadership from a Governor who knows how to bring people together to get things done.

John's plan for a cleaner, healthier environment includes:

Better Land Use to Prevent Sprawl

· Support legislation (HB 111) that prohibits counties from collecting transfer tax revenue on development outside the growth zone. Limiting the collection of the transfer tax will provide a major financial incentive for reducing sprawl and focusing development within the identified growth zones.

· Create a statewide Transfer of Development Rights program to help rural landowners realize their equity while preserving farmland and open space.

· Work with DelDOT and the counties to better link land use plans with transportation and capital improvements. Our infrastructure and development plans need to work together to promote growth in areas where it can be sustained.

Improving Air Quality

· Promote “Green Jobs” in the Delaware economy. Recently, John secured a commitment from Bluewater Wind to make Delaware its regional hub for offshore wind power. This agreement will help improve the air we breathe and bring hundreds of new jobs to the state. These are the kinds of innovative solutions Delaware need from our next Governor.

· Support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from Delaware’s power plants. It’s essential that Delaware becomes a full member of the RGGI cap and trade program. To do that, we must pass legislation this month that officially recognizes our participation. John called on the members of the General Assembly to pass RGGI legislation before the end of this session.

· Direct DNREC to immediately bring our air monitoring abilities to full capacity. It’s DNREC’s responsibility to take a more active role in double checking industry monitoring and conducting spot checks to ensure that our plants are complying with the law, and John will hold them accountable.

· Direct DNREC to revise our air monitoring system so it gives a more accurate measure of carcinogens generated in our state. Right now, our monitoring station in Seaford primarily analyzes emission levels from our western neighbors. We need to rethink this strategy and add or relocate monitoring stations so we’re collecting more accurate data.

· Ensure that state-owned vehicles meet higher fuel efficiency standards. The State needs to set an example for how we can secure a cleaner and healthier environment, and updating our state fleet is a good place to start. States like Pennsylvania and New York have already begun incorporating more hybrids and fuel efficient cars into their fleets. It’s the right thing to do for our environment, and it could save taxpayers thousands of dollars in fuel costs.

· Direct DelDOT to better coordinate traffic lights, to reduce idle time and thus limit automobile emissions. John will also analyze long term plans to increase access and options for public transportation.

Protecting Our Inland Bays

· Implement the Inland Bays Pollution Control Strategy as adopted. This is a comprehensive plan that reflects the expertise of many environmental scientists throughout the state. It will require strong leadership from the Governor to successfully implement this action plan.

· Enforce the tighter restrictions on the identified buffer zones around the Inland Bays. We need to get better control over what’s being released into them, and tighter enforcement in the buffer zones is a step in the right direction.

· Support the Delaware Inland Bays Estuary Program’s efforts to review and revise their Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan.

· Seek state funding to help remove the Rehoboth sewage outfall from the Lewes-Rehoboth canal.

· Support our Nutrient Management Program and will look to increase the state’s share for cover crops.

· Support the efforts of the Center for the Inland Bays to raise awareness about the condition of the Bays, and the public’s role in improving their environmental quality.

Farmland and Open Space Preservation

· Expand the state’s farmland and forestland preservation programs. To date, the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s farmland and forestland preservation programs have protected over 150,000 acres from development, primarily in Kent and Sussex counties. We need to grow these programs, and Carney proposes doing so by working with our Congressional delegation to better leverage state funding for land acquisition programs.

· Use these programs to preserve land around Delaware’s Blackbird Millington Corridor, as well as the Nanticoke Wildlife Area. These two areas of our state provide tremendous natural resources, but are quickly disappearing due to development.

· Oppose any efforts to divert resources from our Open Space, Farmland, and Forestland preservation programs. The state budget currently allocates $10 million to these programs, and we need all of it to continue operating them effectively. As our economy improves, Carney will make increased funding for open space preservation a priority.

Protecting Our Freshwater Wetlands

· Develop a Delaware Fresh Water Wetlands Program. This program will include the acquisition and regulation of current freshwater wetlands, as well as the restoration of damaged or developed wetlands sites. Delaware has fallen behind other states in our region, like New Jersey, Maryland, and New York, in our protection and conservation of freshwater wetlands, and we need to do everything we can to restore this valuable natural resource.

· To help with the creation and restoration of our freshwater wetlands, John will create a Wetlands Mitigation Bank, which can be used to offset unavoidable impact to our freshwater wetlands by development. Currently, DelDOT has a program to replace wetlands lost due to road construction. The first step will be to evaluate this program and expand it on a pilot basis.

· Work to educate the public about the importance of preserving freshwater wetlands. So much can be done at the individual level to preserve our wetlands, and Carney will work to promote these opportunities. Specifically, he will direct DNREC to develop a continuing education course and publish a manual for creating, restoring, and preserving freshwater wetlands.

Carney will also work with Governors O’Malley and Corzine to see if there is interest in purchasing some of the wind power already produced.

Follow John

John Carney for Congress
P.O. Box 2162
Wilmington, DE 19899-2162
(302) 225-9910