Delaware Electric Co-op Renewable Programs and Initiatives
“Delaware Electric Cooperative is a national leader in providing cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy,”
"We are working to invest in projects that are affordable, sustainable and reduce the Co-op’s impact on the environment. By 2025, in compliance with state laws, 25 percent of our energy will be produced or purchased from renewable energy sources." Delaware Electric Co-op Vice President Mark Nielson
Delaware Electric Cooperative continues to expand its array of clean energy sources and programs. These projects help to reduce carbon emissions and provide members with sustainable sources of electricity.
- Solar/Wind/Net
- Beat the Peak
- Natural Gas Power Plant
- Solid Waste Methane
- Electric Vehicles
Bruce Henry Solar Farm
Construction was completed on phase two of the Co-op’s Bruce A. Henry Solar Farm in Sussex County. The additional 17 acres of solar panels are now producing power for about 400 cooperative homes.
Net Metering
Delaware Electric Co-op offers a Net Metering program to it's membership. Members receive a meter that will allow DEC to record excess energy produced by the Members system that their home/business doesn’t use. This is called net-metering and DEC credits Members for excess energy produced.
Net Meter Location Map
Net Meter 2
Beat the Peak provides Co-op members with the power to keep their electric rates affordable.
The program is simple. During times when the cost to purchase and produce power for members is high, we issue Beat the Peak alerts. During these alert periods, we ask members to conserve energy. We recommend you turn off unnecessary lights, delay the use of major appliances like dishwashers and dryers and turn your thermostat up a few degrees in the summer and down a few degrees in the winter. Over the years, the program has saved members more than $30 million. Because DEC is a not-for-profit utility, those savings are passed on to you in the form of affordable rates.
Beat the Peak with DEC
Natural Gas Power Plant
An efficient new natural gas-driven power plant is now producing energy for tens of thousands of Delaware homes. The Wildcat Point plant, located in Rising Sun, Md., became fully operational in April. The state-of-the-art plant is owned and operated by Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) based in Glen Allen, Virginia, which is partially owned by Delaware Electric Cooperative as a member cooperative.
New Natural Gas Plant Powering Delaware Homes!
Solid Waste Methane
DEC distribution map of Delaware Solid Waste Authority's Landfill in Sandtown Delaware
In April 2013, Delaware Electric Cooperative began purchasing power produced at the Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s landfill in Sandtown, Del. Methane produced from decomposing garbage is retrieved from the landfill and then burned in large engines to produce electricity. DEC is purchasing enough energy from the site to power 1,000 Co-op homes. The electricity is being purchased at a very competitive price and has reduced carbon emissions from the landfill by 60 to 90 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Co-op Using Energy From Landfill
Electric Vehicles
Delaware Electric Cooperative's Electric Vehicle
The first electric car was built in the mid 1830s, but it has only been within the past decade that these fuel-efficient creations have really taken off with the everyday consumer. Whether you are interested in lightening your carbon footprint or simply trying to save money on gas, odds are you have some questions. DEC has the answers.
Benefits of Electric Vehicles
