Unrealistic expectations

Delaware is a long way from where energy dreamers want it to be.

A perfect metaphor for Delaware: cold and cloudy with no one using the electric car chargers.

Let me start out by saying that David T. Stevenson of the Center for Energy & Environmental Policy has been doing yeoman’s work in unraveling the state’s proposed energy programs and targets, showing the reality behind the pie-in-the-sky projections the state has dreamed up, such as carving out a significant portion of new car sales for EVs.

But there’s a problem: government in the state of Delaware seems to believe they can make a dent in our climate even though common sense would dictate there are many factors beyond the control of mankind. As Stevenson opines in a recent piece, “The reality is that Delaware's policies are failing, putting the state at risk of power shortages and forcing families and businesses to bear higher energy costs.” Just ask the families looking at $700 Delmarva Power bills from a frigid January how that works. (Score another one for Delaware Electric Co-Op, which is my supplier.)

While Stevenson notes that we’ve accomplished a significant portion of the state’s goal of 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2000 levels by 2030, much of that is incidental: electric generation has shifted from mainly coal-based to natural gas-based and has moved from Delaware to out-of-state. Add in the loss of energy-intensive manufacturing from Delaware (such as Dupont) and the adoption of energy-efficient appliances and LED lights, and the reduction is more from external factors than anything the First State did.

That “success” from increased efficiency masks the lack of progress on the supply side. The boondoggles of offshore wind and solar generation may become a thing of the past with Trump administration policies. Combine that with the dismantling of overly stringent Biden administration CAFE standards by the new sheriff in town and there’s no incentive to lose money on EVs either.

As Stevenson concludes:

Delaware legislators must act now to protect residents from rising energy costs and unreliable power. The state can achieve cleaner, affordable, and dependable energy by investing in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNRs) and market-driven solutions. For example, *three new 250-megawatt SMNRs could generate enough in-state power to eliminate the 60% of electricity currently imported.

Delaware's Climate Action Plan claims to promote justice for low-income communities. Yet, it encourages policies that force residents to walk, ride bikes, and wait outside for buses - even in extreme weather. True justice means ending mandates that raise electric rates and car ownership costs, disproportionately harming working families.

Delaware's Climate Action Plan must return to the drawing board. Delaware families and businesses deserve better.

While we have plenty of good former industrial sites that would work well for SMNRs, I would go Stevenson one better and just tear up the Climate Action Plan like Nancy Pelosi tore up Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech a few years ago. The state got along fine without one and its modest (at most) effect on overall climate isn’t worth the pain citizens have to endure. I’ve also harped over the years on withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which is just a way to extort money from utilities through a phony cap-and-trade system that outlived its usefulness on day one.

When I was in college we were at the dawn of the solar phenomenon - it was the era of Trombe walls and solar angle calculators to maximize exposure to those rays. For years we’ve dreamt about ways to harness the “free” energy provided by the sun and wind, forgetting in the moment that our demand is now 24/7/365 and neither sun nor wind is present for all of that. If anything, the advances need to be in realizing the battery technology that could make solar and wind effective, even - especially - if it’s on a small scale to enable people to live “off the grid.” I think that would be more of a use for the technology than the preposterous idea we can change the climate by our actions.

In the meantime, though, you can Buy Me a Coffee, since I have a page there now.