Biden touts station project, wind energy

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE - Vice President Joe Biden joined Delaware state and national officials to kick off renovation of his old commuting stop and to tout offshore wind energy.

Before his election Biden used to commute almost daily from the 103-year-old Wilmington, Del., train station, a Frank Furness designed structure in need of repair and restoration.

Later Monday Biden, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., visited the University of Delaware, where they discussed the importance of alternative energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf, specifically offshore wind resources for Delaware and other Atlantic Coast states, the White House said in a news release.

Work on the train station was accelerated due to $20 million in federal investment funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Biden said.

About producing energy on the OCS, Biden said, "By harnessing offshore wind power and other resources we will be able to power tens of millions of homes using clean, renewable power."

Offshore wind means reliable power, clean air and new U.S. jobs Carper said.

"The First State is poised to again be a leader in independence — energy independence," the senator said. "These new renewable energy regulations ensure Delaware can move forward with one of the first offshore wind projects in the United States."