Delaware Electric Co-op substation to improve reliability for members

Delaware Electric Cooperative has completed construction on a new substation in Sussex County that will improve reliability for its members.

The Dorey Substation was energized in late October and will provide power to approximately 2,100 homes in the Georgetown area for decades. Located along Zoar Road, the facility was built to keep up with growing energy demand in eastern Sussex County.

DEC is connecting electrical service to thousands of new homes and businesses each year in Sussex County. In 2021, the co-op connected service to 4,114 homes, and most of the new services were in Sussex County. Following a record-setting year for reliability in 2021, the co-op remains committed to providing dependable power while keeping up with growing demand.

“The energizing of Dorey Substation supports DEC’s mission of providing reliable power to members,” said Troy Dickerson, DEC vice president of engineering. “DEC has experienced explosive growth in eastern Sussex County over the past decade. The facility will enhance the co-op’s electric service that our members can depend on for years to come.”

Dorey Substation was developed in partnership with Delmarva Power, which is the transmission provider for DEC. During power outages, Dorey will allow the cooperative to redirect power more easily to homes that are in the dark, meaning the approximately 2,100 members served by the new substation can expect to experience fewer outages. The new addition will also reduce load on existing substations that have been impacted by development and growth in the area.

The transformer that serves the new substation was recycled, resulting in lower project costs. The rebuilt transformer is expected to last 30 to 40 years. Dorey Substation took nearly a year to construct and cost approximately $4.4 million.

DEC has plans to continue to enhance the system in an effort to provide reliable service to members and keep up with growing load demand. An additional substation is slated to be built on Cedar Grove Road near Lewes; it is still in the planning phase. The project will further reduce strain on power lines and equipment, enhance DEC’s ability to remotely restore power through automated devices in the field, and allow DEC to power the growing number of new homes and businesses in the beach areas.

Delaware Electric Cooperative is a member-owned nonprofit utility powering more than 112,000 homes, farms and businesses in Sussex and Kent counties. 

To learn more, go to delaware.coop.