The state of Delaware legislated requirements that led to Delmarva Power signing long term contracts for high cost electric generation sources. This included the purchase of fuel cells from Bloom Energy, Inc., and earlier than needed contracts for high priced solar and onshore wind resources. Consequently, the cost from these sources is exceeding a consumer protection cost cap by six-fold. This will cost families as much as an extra $2,500 over the life of the contract. Some manufacturers are paying a job killing $1 million a year. Delawareans are subsequently left with lost job opportunities, lower wages, and higher electric bills.
We the undersigned, petition the Delaware State Legislature and Governor Carney to take steps to keep future electric bills from increasing because of state electric generation mandates. We also want steps taken to rebate the excess costs from existing contracts. The following steps should fix the problem:
- Repeal the Fuel Cell Tariff. The no-bid process for fuel cells violated the Dormant Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution by limiting bidders to companies with manufacturing facilities located within the State of Delaware that left Bloom as the only supplier.
- Negotiate a buy out of high priced long term contracts with state tax revenue, starting with the Bloom fuel cell contract.
- Retain the Renewable Portfolio Standard consumer protection Cost Cap as is at 3-percent.
- Rebate to electric customers 85-percent of unspent, and future revenues from allowance auctions from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
- Limit future power purchase contracts to the lowest bidder, based on the cost per ton of carbon dioxide emission reduction.
