DelawarePolitics.net

Markell and Longhurst thing the way to grow our economy is to shrink it. I wonder how do they think that this is a good idea? The governor signed two bills yesterday which will impact everyone who lives or works in Delaware. I am all for encouraging conservation, but we should not be setting into law a cut in our energy consumption such as we find in SB 106. Energy consumption is not bad. It is what gives us modern life. Every since man discovered fire energy consumption has been a part of making our lives better and transforming the world. We should be seeking better sources of energy. We should be partnering with NJ to open all of Salem in a safe and sustainable way. We should partner with our neighboring state to expand the off shore wind farm back to its original size. We can do that by working with them to ensure there is a market. We should not shackle our economy and say that we will use less energy regardless of its source. That is a recipe for undermining our prosperity.

“Placing environmental sustainability at the forefront of our public policy debate creates jobs and opportunities for Delaware residents and companies,” Markell said during a ceremony at WhiteOptics in Newark, which manufactures material that make light fixtures more energy efficient. “We must boldly move forward because efficiency produces real cost savings, environmental benefits, and economic opportunity. By reducing our energy use, we will have more money to save and spend in our local communities, generating well-paying jobs and greater prosperity for us all.”

Senate Bill 59 updates Delaware’s building codes to increase energy efficiency requirements for new buildings and promotes the construction of “zero net energy” homes and office buildings. A “zero net energy” building does not consume more energy than it generates.

Senate Bill 106, the centerpiece of the administration’s energy agenda, requires Delaware’s utilities to reduce their energy consumption 15 percent by 2015, one of the most aggressive targets in the country. The Energy Conservation and Efficiency Act of 2009 also establishes a “loading order” for new energy supplies that requires energy efficiency to be considered before new supply-side resources are obtained (cost-effective renewable before traditional fossil fuels) and identifies energy efficiency as the least expensive way to meet Delaware’s growing energy demands.

“The Energy Conservation and Efficiency Act represents an important step forward,” said Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, the chair of the Senate Energy Committee who has long championed alternative energy and conservation programs. “This will encourage more development of renewable energy and will help improve energy conservation which remains an important, but often overlooked resource. The new standards for energy efficiency in Senate Bill 59 represent an investment in new homes that will more than pay for themselves through lower energy bills. It should prove to make homes more affordable, more comfortable to live in and more valuable if they’re sold.”

“Energy conservation and efficiency are issues that must be an integral part of our economic and environmental strategy going forward, and we must start now,” said House Majority Whip Rep. Valerie J. Longhurst, D-Bear, the lead sponsor of SB 106 in the House of Representatives. “Setting goals today will establish a blueprint for current and future leaders of the state to follow as we enact energy, environmental and economic policies. This new law sets specific targets for electric and natural gas companies to reduce energy consumption, which shows that we are serious about accomplishing our goals.”