Delaware Electric Cooperative - Green Energy Fund

Note: The Green Energy Fund regulations are currently under revision to improve program function and meet the requirements of the Delaware Energy Act. The Delaware Division of Energy and Climate webpage will provide details about relevant public meetings and workshops, proposed draft regulations, and other documents during the regulatory revision process.

Under the 2005 Delaware Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) legislation, electric cooperatives were allowed to opt out of the RPS schedule if they met certain other requirements. One such requirement was that they contribute to the existing Green Energy Fund for investor-owned utilities or create their own green energy fund supported by an equal surcharge (i.e. $0.000178/kWh). In 2010 the Delaware RPS was amended by SS 1 for S.B. 119 and the section (26 Del. C. § 363) detailing the obligations of electric cooperatives was slightly revised. While these amendments change several other opt-out requirements, the provision mandating green energy fund contributions in the event of an opt-out remains unchanged.

The Delaware Electric Cooperative, the state's lone cooperative, opted out of the RPS requirements and established its own green energy fund. Based on 2008 retail electricity sales data from the DEC annual report, the fund has an annual income of approximately $206,000. The surcharge for the investor-owned utility fund was doubled in 2007 through legislation, but the surcharge for the Cooperative's fund was not affected.

The Green Energy Fund supports the Cooperative's Green Energy Program Incentives, which include rebates for distributed renewable energy systems. The eligible technologies listed in this entry are based on those described in the program regulations. Incentive programs for a given technology may or may not be active at any point in time. For more information on eligibility requirements and funding, reference the Delaware Electric Cooperative's Renewable Resource Fund Program guide.