New Renewable Energy Legislation Passes In DE

DOVER, DE -  On the first day after President Biden refocused the nation’s commitment to climate action, the first state passed a clean energy bill that will increase the amount of renewable energy from 25% to 40% to Delaware homes and businesses. The Renewable Portfolio Standard bill, known as S.B. 33 introduced by State Sen. Hansen and Rep. Osienski, passed both chambers of the Delaware General Assembly.  While this is a step in the right direction, Delaware still lags behind other states in the region.  The State’s current public utility, Delmarva, and the State’s Public Advocate agree that we can increase the RPS to 50% by 2035 and still save up to 80% when future costs are compared to what ratepayers are currently paying.

The Sierra Club firmly believes that there is significant support to increase the RPS to 50% or higher and will work with legislators to increase the RPS further as other renewable energy legislation is introduced during the current session.

The Renewable Portfolio Standard instituted by the state in 2005, cultivates a market for utilities in Delaware to acquire a set percentage of their retail electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind each year. These utilities are able to purchase credits from producers who have used renewable energy sources.

The newly proposed legislation would require Delaware’s regulated utilities to increase its portfolio standard to 40 percent by 2035. Delaware’s commitment to clean energy is falling far behind other mid-Atlantic states like Maryland which requires 50 % renewable energy by 2030. Even neighboring states like New Jersey and Virginia have clear 100 % clean energy or carbon-free goals. States across the mid-Atlantic are taking advantage of reliably available clean energy resources saving consumers money and attracting new jobs to their state. Delaware and the rest of the Mid Atlantic region is uniquely threatened by the devastating impacts of the climate crisis and should adopt energy legislation that at the very least begins to approach the scale of the crisis.  

The Sierra Club Delaware Chapter Director Sherri Evans-Stanton released the following statement in response: 

"While Senator Hansen’s bill importantly raises the state’s renewable energy standard, it still leaves Delaware far behind virtually every state in the region, most of which have 50% or higher renewable energy commitments during the same timeline. The bare minimum for any meaningful renewable energy standard should be at least to match the 50% by 2030 target the world’s top climate scientists have suggested.  Delawareans deserve abundant and affordable clean energy and the positive economic and public health impacts that come with them.”