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| (Image via Giphy) Good evening, A follow-up to Wednesday’s My take on the logjam of solar projects in the pipeline of regional grid operator PJM. Delaware Public Advocate Andrew Slater said his office which serves as a consumer advocate in utility rate cases is monitoring developments as PJM moves toward putting projects at the top of the queue that have financing and permitting in place. |
| Slater also pointed out the number of solar power projects that have been approved but have not moved forward. Reasons may range from getting final permits to rising interest rates as the Federal Reserve Board tries to put the brakes on inflation without triggering a recession – a nearly impossible task. Slater will have a busy 2023, with Delmarva Power proposing a sizable rate increase. |
| On another note, I spent a little time at the Zoom session on DNREC’s proposal to adopt California’s standard that would lead to only all-electric vehicles being sold by 2035. Those making their case for and against the standard see dire outcomes A number of good points were made on the effects of emissions and how those of modest means would be able to afford EVs and chargers. |
| My initial response to what I read and heard was – relax. No one is taking away muscle cars or SUVs. Also, Delaware alone can’t deal with emissions in a crowded region. |
| Critics of EVs tend to look at the current market and can’t grasp that things might look a lot different in the future. Some of this is fueled by talking points on cable TV and from public policy groups that highlight only the worst possible outcomes. |
| It is also true that capital spending by car and truck makers worldwide is now concentrated in EVS and hybrids with signs pointing to prices becoming competitive in the next few years. Still, there is no immediate need for our state to dive into a “wedge issue,” that mobilizes those who have bought into the myths surrouding EVs. |
| It is worth mentioning that Delaware quietly adopted California emissions standards a couple of decades ago. Then again, there wasn’t as much politically charged rhetoric as we see these days. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer |
