I don’t like change. Change is hard. I like Slower Lower just the way it is!
Alas, folks are realizing that Sussex and the beaches are great places to live. Along with our growth is the need for more energy. How do we get it? No worries. We'll just use OPE (other people’s energy) from the PJM grid. What's the problem? Well, the stage is set for PJM prices to take off. Consumers across the PJM Interconnection footprint will pay $14.7 billion for capacity in the 2025-26 delivery year, up from $2.2 billion in the last auction. This spike was driven by power plant retirements, increased load and new market rules that aim to better reflect risks from extreme weather. Home electricity bills are in line to feel the impact. Old coal generation stations in Delaware are being shut down like the Indian River power plant. The Arlington and D.C. area is an epicenter for the expansion of data centers, and Three Mile Island reactor 1 is restarting. Hmm … firing up a 50-year-old nuclear reactor whose sister reactor melted down. Sure hope the inspectors know what they are doing. What could go wrong?
But there's good news. High capacity prices will result in generation being built in the PJM network, and Delmarva is an area in PJM. The question is not if, but what, where and how much? Let's get together and advocate for hometown energy. I have been a proponent of wind, but it looks like offshore wind has fallen from grace because "it spoils the view." I personally like our Lewes wind turbine, and there are a number of creative ways to dress up and camouflage wind farms. If wind is off the table, small modular nuclear reactors have potential, and a new legislative effort in Delaware aims to explore the feasibility of incorporating nuclear energy into the state’s energy portfolio. These reactors are similar to nuclear submarine reactors that have a proven track record. There's also a lot of farmland that could be turned into solar farms, and other boutique sources such as tidal generators and biofuels from agriculture could add to the mix.
So what do we do? A suggestion … Have an open and rational discussion that can lead to a roadmap and action plan that clearly communicates the issues and path forward. This is a non-political Delmarva Peninsula issue that needs to be addressed sooner or later.
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