Cheryl Precourt is a resident of Dover.
We need a Department of Government Efficiency in Delaware. As a resident of Delaware, I would like to put in layman’s terms my understanding of our ever-rising utility bills. Issues began when the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was introduced in our state.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was originally adopted by Delaware back in 2005, via a memorandum of understanding by a handful of governors, including ours at the time. Then, in 2012, the Delaware legislature joined part of a larger agenda regarding green initiatives. There was a lot of dissent at the time, and the majority party did not listen to the minority party, nor did it listen to the people. Originally, 11 states joined, and Pennsylvania became the 12th state in 2022. Since the inception, New Jersey dropped out in 2012, only to rejoin in 2022. I believe it rejoined because it had the most to benefit by doing so, since it is one of the major suppliers to Delaware. Currently, Pennsylvania and Virginia are in legal battles to repeal RGGI from their states.
This makes me wonder — with other states pulling out, why is Delaware remaining? The majority party’s solution to our high electric bills is House Bill 50, which provides energy bill assistance by creating the Delaware Energy Fund. This fund would provide financial assistance and additional monies for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps lower-income households with heating, cooling and energy efficiency initiatives. We are told that this relief comes at no additional cost to the state or taxpayers, as we are using existing green energy funds — in other words (mine), Delaware has been penalized for energy solutions that use fossil fuels, and in essence, the state has overcharged us, and that is how it is going to provide “energy assistance.”
Energy assistance is a temporary solution. Delaware has penalized our electric companies because they cannot obtain enough solar and wind to properly sustain our needs. We are buying our electricity from other states, and there isn’t enough wind or solar to meet the regulations Delaware requires. Those fines and fees are being passed on to the consumer, and the money goes to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. It’s no wonder our electric bills are reaching monumental proportions.
Delaware needs to find common sense solutions within our state. For over 10 years, we have been regulated, penalized, overcharged and taxed for energy solutions that do not work and are not sustainable. In addition, our legislature moved forward with the electric vehicle mandates and California standards, while not listening to the citizens.
The reason I say we need DOGE is because we have been paying a hidden tax on energy that the state is now willing to give back to us because so many people complained of higher utility bills. How was that money being used prior to this emerging issue? And how many people knew that our electric companies have been charged penalties, and the money was going to an agency, causing our bills to rise? Then, there is the electric vehicle mandate and Delaware adopting California climate standards, which a majority of citizens did not agree with. Just something to think about.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
