delaware governor john carney

Courtesy Office of Governor John Carney.

DOVER, Del. - With one bill already released and the rest in committees, a collection of legislation was introduced Tuesday that government representatives say would help to drive the state towards a more sustainable future.

House Bill 99, known as the Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023, was released from the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee Tuesday afternoon. The bill aligns with the state's climate action plan and establishes a target of greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the long term to mitigate the adverse affects of climate change. It will next head to the House.

Aspects of the bill include developing resilience strategies, requiring state agencies to consider climate change in decision-making, requiring an implementation report every two years on the state's progress, and creating climate change officers in certain cabinet-level departments who will assist the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control with the climate plan's ongoing implementation. These departments can include Agriculture, Health and Social Services, State, and Transportation, among others.

The bill touches on the fact that Delaware has the lowest mean elevation of any state in the nation and is therefore particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts like sea level rise, flooding, erosion and beach loss, saltwater intrusion into drinking water, and more. It goes on to address the ways that climate change can affect the health and well-being of the people who live in Delaware by disrupting the state's agriculture industry, water and natural resources, built infrastructure, and public health.

This bill is one of many environmentally-focused bills that lawmakers, advocates, and the governor announced Tuesday. A statement from the House Democratic Caucus said that House bills 99, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 along with Senate Bill 103 would reduce the state's carbon footprint, cut emissions, offer incentives to residents, and ensure businesses are prepared to utilize renewable energy, overall helping to drive the state towards a more sustainable future.

"We can no longer sit passively and pretend that no action is the best way to protect the planet's future," said Representative Debra Heffernan, chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. "Humankind has contributed detrimentally to the environment and it's time we own our responsibility to address the issue... It's time we do our part in the here and now, providing the foundation for future generations, so that this issue will move from 'crisis' to memory."

House Bill 8 would direct state agencies to develop and implement "clean construction preferences" that would allow sustainability and carbon impact data to be incorporated and considered in awarding public work contracts. Preference under the bill would require bidders to submit embodied emissions information related to the proposed construction materials and allow covered agencies to award additional points or other positive considerations. Preferences would be required to be incorporated into Delaware's bid process by July 1, 2025, if passed.

According to bill sponsors Representative Krista Griffith and Senator Sarah McBride, House Bill 9 would set a goal that all state-owned and operated passenger and light-duty vehicles will be zero-emission by 2040. Under this measure, 15 percent of state vehicles must be zero-emission by 2026 and that percentage would increase to 25 percent by 2029 and 50 percent by 2032. Law enforcement and school district vehicles would be excluded from this initiative.

That being said, targets for the annual purchase of state-owned electric school buses would be established in House Bill 10. Annual purchases would go through fiscal year 2030 and gradually increase the percentage of electric buses. Currently, the state Department of Education owns about 500 buses that are used in districts throughout the state. About 50 buses are replaced each year, and this bill would require that 5 percent of the buses replaced in fiscal year 2025 be electric. Percentages would increase in 5 percent increments each year until reaching 30 percent in 2030.

Through House Bill 11, new commercial buildings with a foundation of 50,000 square feet or greater would be required to meet standards that ensure their rooves are able to support solar infrastructure. Standards include orientation of the building, electrical equipment capability, roof strength, and other requirements and would apply to requested building permits starting in 2025.

House Bill 12 would codify an existing Clean Vehicle Rebate Program that has been offered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control since 2014. The program incentivizes the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles and would allow up to a $2,500 rebate for certain vehicle purchases.

A companion bill, House Bill 13, would require the the departments of Transportation and Natural Resources and Environmental Control to develop strategies to deploy additional charging stations in high-need areas. A residential incentive program would also be developed to improve the electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state.

The Senate is also seeing environmental action with the introduction of Senate Bill 103. This bill would require newly constructed single-family and multi-family residential dwellings to include certain vehicle charging infrastructure. It would also provide county and municipal government enforcement of the charging infrastructure requirements.

The bills have been assigned to the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee and the Senate Environment, Energy, and Transportation Committee to be heard in the near future.