As a consumer, would you like to see your electric bills decrease or at least become fixed for the foreseeable future? 

Judging from the number of complaints received by legislators in the past several days about higher electric bills, the answer is yes. 

Would you like to see additional high-paying job opportunities come to our state?

Any reasonable person would answer yes.

With that in mind I am introducing a resolution calling for a Delaware Nuclear Energy Feasibility Task Force.

The task force will examine the feasibility, economic impact, energy reliability, and environmental implications of deploying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Delaware.

The prime sponsor of the resolution in the House is Representative Jeff Hilovsky.

Following are some of the facts contained in the resolution.

• The development of SMRs would provide Delaware with stable electricity prices, zero carbon dioxide emissions, and an energy source that meets the state’s Climate Action Plan goals while ensuring reliability.

• Establishing a robust and reliable energy infrastructure may attract data centers and artificial intelligence firms to Delaware, contributing to economic growth and job creation.

• The best path forward would be for Governor Matt Meyer to initiate discussions with Exelon and Delmarva Power to explore the feasibility of SMR deployment in Delaware.

• Regional and federal energy agencies have warned of an impending electricity reliability crisis as baseload power plants are prematurely retired without dependable replacements.

• Exelon, one of the nation’s largest nuclear energy providers and the parent company of Delmarva Power, could develop SMRs in Delaware with long-term price guarantees, ensuring price stability.

• Delmarva Power currently struggles to purchase enough Renewable Energy Credits to meet its Renewable Portfolio Standard obligations and has instead relied on Alternative Compliance Payments.

• The Indian River Power Plant in Millsboro, which is slated for closure, has the transmission infrastructure and trained workforce needed for the deployment of SMRs.

• The U.S. Department of Energy is evaluating 300 closed coal-fired plants, including the Indian River facility, as potential sites for SMR installation, presenting an opportunity for Delaware to participate in the national nuclear energy transition.

• SMRs are significantly safer than traditional nuclear plants, with emergency evacuation zones limited to the plant’s fence line and without the need for large volumes of cooling water.

• SMRs are anticipated to become a routine part of the energy mix by the 2030s, aligning with the projected timeline of new offshore wind projects.

• Studies indicate that offshore wind power may be as much as twelve times more expensive than a new natural gas power plant and 2.5 to 6 times more expensive than nuclear power.

• Delaware’s Climate Action Plan currently focuses on offshore wind and electric vehicles, both of which depend on federal regulations and subsidies that may not be continued by future Administrations.

The SMRs will be able to produce power at a fraction of the cost of offshore wind.

Offshore wind facilities may last 20 years before replacement. SMRs are expected to last 80 to 100 years.

SMRs are new in the marketplace, but the potential benefit for Delaware is something that we should explore.