They say history repeats itself, and today the controversy over approving an upgraded substation link to a PJM electrical transmission line reminds me of a remarkable bit of Delaware history. Back in 1908, a wealthy industrialist named DuPont realized our state was hobbled by a patchwork sequence of dirt farm roads that was bogged down in mud when wet or offered deep ruts when dry and dusty. DuPont realized that politicians would never agree to spend millions of dollars on a north-south road, so he decided to build it himself. He started in Selbyville and managed the construction himself all the way to Georgetown. By then, he had shown how to make what at that time was an invention, known today as an interstate highway.
Today, we need a newer type of road made of wires instead of concrete. It turned out that DuPont’s highway was a world-noticing success despite early complaints by farmers in Sussex County who would later have the most to gain. Today, an American company (US Wind) will pay to have a critical upgrading of the creaky old transmission system that experts warn will not adequately handle increasing electrical loads needed to support economic development. DuPont built his road for $4 million and gave it to the state. US Wind offers us a $200 million package of grid improvements that includes a substation that can be used for anyone’s electricity regardless of its source. If Sussex County Council turns this down, our taxpayers will need to dig up $200 million to do what PJM warns will need to be done anyway. I would not expect the new management in Washington, D.C., to help with this. Let’s go do it, council; the future will look back and appreciate the decision.
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