
How to get green energy in Delaware
- October 20, 2021
With the election of Donald Trump as president, Delaware is now the latest state to get in on the green energy game.
With Delaware now on track to become the first state in the nation to be a major energy-generating state, the state legislature will now be given the power to enact renewable energy bills.
The bill would set up a system of “green energy incentives” for the state, which would provide tax breaks for wind turbines and solar panels and a rebate for electric vehicle owners.
It would also provide incentives for home energy use, including incentives for new and existing homes to buy and install solar panels, and incentives for people to switch to renewable energy.
The legislation would also allow people to buy renewable energy from a local solar company, as long as they meet certain standards.
“I think this is a big win for Delawareans,” said Rep. Scott Bostick, a Democrat who represents the state’s capital, Wilmington.
“We are the largest solar state in America.
This is a good thing for the Delawareans, and it is good for the economy.
It is good news for Delaware.”
The bill is likely to garner some bipartisan support, but Republicans have been hesitant to make it a priority.
The state has a bipartisan delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives, but the GOP controlled Senate blocked a renewable energy bill last year because of the party’s opposition to federal funding for the project.
The Senate passed a bill earlier this year, but House Speaker John Carney, a Republican, said the House wouldn’t consider the legislation unless it included a plan for expanding solar, wind, and other renewable energy incentives.
The House also passed a $20 billion package of federal tax breaks in May, but it has not yet been signed by President Donald Trump.
The package includes an exemption for electric vehicles and other energy-saving technologies, which some Democrats see as a way to help Delaware.
Democrats are hoping that the Senate will pass a similar package next year, and then the Senate could send the bill to the President’s desk for signature.
The Delaware Energy Council has also raised $1 million to help the bill’s passage.
“Delawareans need to be encouraged by this, because we’ve got a lot of work to do in the state,” said Steve Johnson, the council’s president.
“This is a great opportunity to take Delaware forward, and I’m really excited about what we’re going to do.”