Delaware drivers and businesses choose environmentally-friendly, money-saving vehicles

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal & Energy today announced that the state’s popular Clean Transportation Incentive Program will be extended through Dec. 31, 2019 in response to Delawareans’ rising demand for cleaner fuel and electric vehicles. Rebate amounts will remain the same, but eligibility requirements will be updated slightly for clarity and flexibility. Changes will take effect July 1.

“The Clean Transportation Incentive Program has been well-received across Delaware,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “When DNREC started this program, we hoped to assist at least 100 drivers in making the cleaner, more cost-effective vehicle choice. Three years later, we have exceeded that target seven times over. Electric and cleaner fuel vehicles are a smart choice for citizens and businesses alike.”

Launched in July 2015, the Clean Transportation Incentive Program has provided rebates to more than 750 Delaware drivers across all three counties for the purchase or lease of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The program has also provided more than 200 rebates for electric vehicle charging stations at residential and commercial properties and workplaces. The program was designed to help Delaware drivers choose vehicles that produce less or no tailpipe emissions, reducing both unhealthy pollution and the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change.

Rebates for the purchase or lease of cleaner fuel vehicles are:

• $3,500 for battery electric vehicles under $60,000 MSRP
• $1,500 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles with gasoline range extenders under $60,000 MSRP
• $1,000 for battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles over $60,000 MSRP
• $1,500 for dedicated propane or natural gas vehicles
• $1,350 for bi-fuel propane or natural gas vehicles
• $20,000 for heavy-duty dedicated natural gas trucks

Rebates are also available for electric vehicle charging stations for homes, businesses, and workplaces.

Delaware’s Clean Transportation Incentive Program is made possible through Delaware’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). For more information, visit de.gov/cleantransportation.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 163

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DOVER – Following the US Environmental Protection Agency’s recent proposal to deny Delaware recourse under the federal Clean Air Act for improving the state’s air quality, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin today urged EPA to follow regulatory procedure and provide the state with adequate opportunity to make a case for reducing out-of-state air pollution that comes into Delaware and continues to plague the First State.

On May 31, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a notice proposing to deny four CAA Section 126(b) petitions made by Delaware against four power plants in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that, according to EPA data, transport air pollution across state lines into Delaware. Governor John Carney responded with a public statement opposing EPA’s proposal to deny Delaware’s petitions.

The EPA has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed denial of the CAA petitions for June 22 in Washington, D.C.

In a letter to EPA, Secretary Garvin stated that “Delaware is deeply concerned at the setting of a public hearing less than two weeks after publishing EPA’s proposed action in the Federal Register.” Secretary Garvin requested that the public hearing take placce no sooner than 45 days following the date of publication of EPA’s proposed denial in the federal register, and that the public hearing be moved from Washington, D.C., to Wilmington.

Holding the hearing on the earlier date, as EPA intends, allows inadequate time for the state’s response to the proposed Delaware’s Clean Air Act petitions, Secretary Garvin wrote, and also noted that holding the public hearing in Washington, D.C., will limit participation by Delawareans, particularly those in the northern part of the state most affected by the poor air quality that besets Delaware from cross-state transport of air pollution.

In addition to a 45-day comment period leading up to the public hearing, Secretary Garvin requested that EPA hold open the comment period for at least 30 days following the hearing. In his letter, he noted that the EPA proposal signed by Administrator Pruitt indicated that EPA would receive written comments regarding the proposal for 45 days following the date that the proposal is published in the Federal Register. Yet on June 5, EPA released a notice of its intent to conduct the public hearing on June 22 at EPA’s headquarters in Washington.

CONTACT: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 154

Op-ed by Governor John Carney

Watching a Blue Rocks game. Sitting by the pool. Walking along the Rehoboth boardwalk.

For most of us, that’s what summertime means. It’s a time of fun and relaxation.

But for the majority of Delawareans with asthma or other breathing problems, summer can be a nightmare.

That’s because Delaware’s air quality ranks among the worst in the country. The real kicker, though, is that 90 percent of that pollution comes from other states.

Delaware has made great strides over the past 30 years in reducing our own emissions.

We’ve enacted stricter controls on power plants, refineries, and manufacturing sites.

From 2000-2017, Delaware’s coal-fired electric generation has been reduced by approximately 90 percent. We’ve reduced coal-fired power generation to one well-controlled unit in the entire state.

To comply with federal and state air regulations, Delaware electric generators and operators such as Calpine and NRG have spent millions of dollars to control emissions that cause ozone pollution.

But, without help from the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, we can’t move the needle on our air quality. So, we asked the EPA to intervene in the states that are “upwind” from Delaware – where all our air pollution is coming from.

Most of the power plants in these states have pollution control technology. But sometimes, the plants don’t turn the technology on.

Delaware asked the EPA to require these power plants to run their pollution control equipment any time the plants are in operation, and especially during the summer months, when ozone levels are the highest.

EPA has the authority to do this under the Clean Air Act. We’re asking them to use it. 

Unfortunately, though, the EPA recently proposed to deny our request. So, for the time being, Delawareans will continue to suffer as we enter this hot summer season.

Working with Attorney General Matt Denn, we’re looking at ways to force the EPA to enforce the Clean Air Act, and protect Delaware’s air quality.

We can have a debate about the role of government, or climate change, or the decisions coming out of Washington. But there’s no disputing that power plant emissions cause air pollution, air pollution makes it harder to breathe, and Delaware’s air pollution is coming almost entirely from other states.

Delaware’s companies have spent the money and cleaned up their emissions. Other states have not.

If we do nothing else as a government, it seems to me that ensuring our citizens have clean air to breathe should be the minimum standard.

Delaware will continue to employ state-of-the-art emission control technology for our industrial sites. We will continue doing what we can to keep our citizens safe. But we need the federal government to step up and do its job, as well, so all Delawareans can breathe easy.

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DOVER – Delaware’s Offshore Wind Working Group will host two public workshops in May for input on the working group’s draft recommendations to the Governor.

Workshops will be held at 6 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

• Tuesday, May 29, William Penn High School Auditorium, 713 E. Basin Road New Castle, DE 19720
• Thursday, May 31, South Coastal Library, 43 Kent Avenue, Bethany Beach, DE 19930

The workshops will begin with a brief update on draft recommendations that were developed at the working group’s April 23 meeting. The public may then offer comments on the draft recommendations.

The recommendations focus on three key questions:

• What factors need to be considered before Delaware responds when a company proposes to develop offshore wind?
• What factors need to be considered in a decision on whether the state would solicit or purchase energy, capacity or renewable energy credits (RECs) from an offshore wind project?
• What can Delaware do to position itself to become the location for part of the supply chain for offshore wind projects in the Mid-Atlantic?

The draft recommendations, along with briefing materials, public comments, and additional resources are posted at de.gov/offshorewind.

All Offshore Wind Working Group meetings are open to the public and posted on the Delaware Public Meeting Calendar.

For more information, or to submit written comment, please contact Tom Noyes, principal planner for utility policy, DNREC Division of Energy & Climate, by emailing Thomas.Noyes@delaware.gov or calling 302-735-3480.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 129

DELAWARE CITY – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation today marked the installation of 540 solar panels to power Fort Delaware State Park. U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, PSEG representatives, Delaware City Mayor Stanley Green, other state officials, and schoolchildren joined DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin for the dedication ceremony, which featured a tour of the Civil War-era fort and its new solar energy source. The ceremony also marked the opening of Fort Delaware for the season.

A diesel generator, which formerly powered the facility, was damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. As part of the disaster recovery funding, $94,000 was provided by the Federal and Delaware Emergency Management agencies for the design, engineering, and infrastructure construction needed to install the solar panels, along with $180,000 from DNREC’s Division of Energy & Climate. The panels were installed in 2017, and generate 37.5 kilowatts or 170 amps per year, enough to power the entire facility every day, rather than just when the fort is open to the public.

“Installing the solar panels at Fort Delaware is an excellent outcome from a horrible storm,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. “Rather than just fixing the old diesel generator, now the state park can be powered cheaply, efficiently, and in a cleaner way. That’s a win-win for our environment and the state’s bottom line.”

“Enhancing the visitor experience, reducing the operating cost of this site, and improving the air quality are three ways this project is great for Delaware,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “I am grateful to PSEG’s generosity and the spirit of collaboration that helped drive this project with DNREC. Fort Delaware has an incredible history that more people should know about, and I hope this project helps attract more visitors and increase the park’s capabilities to facilitate those visitors.”

“This solar power installation at Fort Delaware not only helps protect our environment, but also our historic legacy,” said Governor John Carney. “In addition, the improvements will help boost our $3.3 billion tourism economy, as Fort Delaware attracts more than 15,000 visitors every year.”
Prior to the installation of the solar array, for the fort to operate during the season, the generator required drums of diesel fuel to be brought over by boat throughout the season. This was not only inefficient, but there were also safety and environmental concerns. The new solar array provides $18,000 – $20,000 of clean, efficient energy per year, or the equivalent of 180 barrels of diesel fuel. In addition, the new solar array provides power for the entire year, enabling heat, lights, security cameras and dehumidifiers to run in the winter months when parks staff is not available to run the generator.
DNREC partnered with PSEG Power, a New Jersey-based energy company, which donated 700 total solar panels for the project. The panels are located on the roof of the fort, 50 feet above the floodplain and are not visible from the ground or from within the areas of the fort open to the public.

“The new solar panels at Fort Delaware provide energy savings and a cleaner environment,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “We have seen time and time again that energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective ways to lower energy use and operations costs, making Fort Delaware’s power needs more affordable and efficient to operate, and environmentally friendly. The solar array provides constant and reliable energy for year-round operation at the fort. The use of solar energy is among the best ways to protect and preserve the environment now, and for the future.”

“The Fort Delaware project helps point the way forward toward a sustainable future for all,” said Ralph LaRossa, president of PSEG Power. “We are no stranger to Delaware, having developed the PSEG Milford Solar Farm in Kent County, which remains the state’s largest solar installation. We are proud to partner with DNREC to replace diesel generators with solar panels and move Delaware toward a clean energy future, demonstrating that we can have both a strong economy and a healthy environment.”

Fort Delaware was built as a Union military post that held approximately 32,000 prisoners over the course of the Civil War. Today, award-winning living-history interpreters put a human face on history. A ferryboat takes visitors out to the fort on Pea Patch Island, which is also known for its wealth of birdlife. For more information, visit www.destateparks.com/park/fort-delaware/ or call 302-834-7941.

Vol. 48, No. 94

Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902