Old-time politics surfaces with last-minute 40% green energy mandate bill

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Good afternoon,

Readers of this newsletter may know that I am a fan of renewable energy.

I like the clear day I am seeing today from my window,  even if it may not be  the result of lower vehicle and coal-fired power plant emissions.

Offshore and onshore wind projects as well as large scale solar projects make a lot of sense, especially as technology advances.

There is also vast potential in the University of Delaware’s research into alternative options. That includes storing electricity in a growing fleet of electric vehicles when solar cells go to sleep at night.

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I am also in  favor of the current Delaware standard that calls for 25 percent of the state’s energy to come from alternative sources by 2025.

However, a last-minute maneuver by long-time state  Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, to boost the energy mandate to 40 percent should be stopped in its tracks in the COVID-19 year of  2020.

McDowell has been a pioneer in energy circles and even made a career out of his involvement in that arena. The  40 percent requirement is not that unusual. Maryland has a similar mandate that was passed over the governor’s veto.

But the Delaware senator’s  18-page bill is loaded with bells and whistles (including a complex community solar program) deserves a thorough examination. The scrutiny should also include a detailed study of the financial impact that goes beyond largely useless fiscal notes.

In normal times, McDowell’s late-in-the-session move would be highly questionable. In this environment, it borders on outrageous. 

Organizations have sounded the alarm including the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation, the group that represents city-owned utilities around the state including the sizable Newark, Middletown and Dover systems. Also sending out an SOS is the Caesar Rodney Institute, a long-time critic of state energy policies.

As of today, Senate Bill 250  has been, in legislative lingo, “laid on the table” awaiting further action. That’s  where it should remain, as this session of the General Assembly winds down.

There’s plenty of time for a public airing of this bill. Delaware is still a long way from achieving the 25 percent mandate. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.

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