A mix of short and long-term strategies aim to bring relief to consumers

WILMINGTON— Today, Governor Matt Meyer announced a comprehensive plan to address rising energy costs in Delaware, strengthen consumer protections, and demand immediate relief for Delmarva Power customers who experienced severe bill increases over the past several months.

“Too many Delaware families opened their energy bills this winter and saw outrageous rate hikes with little explanation,” said Governor Meyer. “That’s unacceptable. No one should be forced to decide between heating their home and paying for groceries. My administration is advocating for immediate relief, stronger oversight, and lasting reforms to protect Delaware ratepayers.”

The Governor’s plan includes a mix of immediate actions and long-term legislative solutions to ensure affordable and fair energy pricing for all Delawareans. It emphasizes that Delaware’s energy system must work for consumers, not just corporations.  To be clear, renewable energy policies are not the problem. In fact, having more sources of energy in our state is part of the solution to bring prices down.

“The system is broken when utility companies can pass unnecessary costs onto consumers with little accountability,” Meyer said. “That changes today. We’re demanding immediate relief, putting stronger oversight in place, and pushing for real reforms that protect Delaware families now and in the future.”

The Meyer Administration will work alongside legislators, consumer advocates, and energy regulators to ensure these immediate relief measures and long-term reforms move forward quickly.

Immediate Actions to Help Delaware Ratepayers

Governor Meyer is taking action to ensure greater transparency and hold utility companies accountable.
Demanding immediate bill rate adjustments for Delmarva Power customers affected by the sharp rate spikes this winter.
Appointing a new Public Advocate who will aggressively challenge unfair rate hikes and improve transparency for consumers.
Reappointing a Public Service Commission (PSC) Commissioner who will focus on strengthening oversight and protecting Delaware ratepayers.
Reviewing and overhauling the PSC dispute resolution process to ensure that ratepayers have a transparent, responsive system to challenge unfair charges
Working with legislators on ways to provide consumer relief and protection.

Legislative Solutions for Long-Term Energy Reform

Governor Meyer is also supporting a legislative package to increase transparency, accountability, and fairness in Delaware’s energy system:
Senate Bill 59 (SB 59): Strengthens consumer protections by requiring the Public Service Commission to apply the “prudence” standard when evaluating utility costs—ensuring that ratepayers don’t cover unnecessary or wasteful spending by utility companies.
Senate Bill 60 (SB 60): Prevents utilities from using customer funds for unregulated activities like lobbying and political contributions and caps excessive capital spending by electric distribution companies to control costs.
Senate Bill 61 (SB 61) increases transparency by requiring public disclosure of votes cast at PJM Interconnection meetings. Thus, Delaware ratepayers and policymakers can access the decisions impacting their energy costs.
 

For any questions or to schedule a one-on-one interview with Governor Meyer, please email mila.myles@delaware.gov.

About Delaware Governor Matt Meyer

Governor Matt Meyer is a former public school math teacher and small business owner who served as New Castle County Executive from 2017 through January 2025. As the leader of Delaware’s largest local government, Matt proved that government can still work for the people– delivering real results for real people and making real progress for Delaware’s working families. Governor Meyer is bringing that same result-driven leadership to the state by creating an effective government that reflects our values and priorities.

From Wilmington to Kenya and Iraq: Growing up in Delaware, Matt attended schools in the Brandywine School District, followed by Wilmington Friends School, and then studied Computer Science & Political Science at Brown University. He then moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where he learned Swahili and created Ecosandals, a recycled footwear company that sold environmentally friendly footwear to customers in 17 countries on five continents. Matt subsequently spent 12 months in Mosul, Iraq, as a diplomat embedded with the United States Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

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