Delaware has an energy challenge that is becoming harder to ignore. Our state ranks last in the country in energy production. We use roughly 70 times more energy than we generate here at home, and we rely heavily on imports from the regional grid operated by PJM Interconnection. That dependence exposes us to risks we don’t control. When supply tightens elsewhere, Delaware feels it. When prices rise regionally, our residents and businesses pay the price. 

At the same time, demand for electricity is increasing and is projected to grow by 32% by 2030. Population growth, electrification and new industries are placing additional strain on an already constrained system. Without meaningful action, this imbalance will lead to higher costs and potential reliability concerns. 

One of the most significant barriers to addressing this issue is not a lack of opportunity; it is the difficulty of getting projects approved and built. Across the country, energy infrastructure projects face lengthy and unpredictable permitting timelines. Environmental reviews, overlapping agency requirements, and extended litigation can delay projects for years, sometimes close to a decade. While environmental protections are critical and must be preserved, the current process is often inefficient, duplicative and inconsistent. The result is a system that slows down the very projects needed to improve reliability, reduce costs and modernize our energy supply. 

Permitting reform offers a practical, bipartisan solution. Efforts in Congress, including legislation supported by Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, are focused on establishing clearer timelines, improving interagency coordination and providing greater predictability in the review process. 

A more effective approach would ensure that once a project meets established requirements, it can move forward without unnecessary delay. Just as importantly, reforms should provide consistency and transparency so that investments in energy infrastructure can be made with confidence. This is not about weakening environmental standards, it is about making the process work as intended. 

Delays carry real consequences. Every year a needed project is held up is another year of constrained supply, upward pressure on energy prices and missed opportunities to strengthen our infrastructure. For households and businesses already managing rising costs, those delays matter. 

Delaware is well-positioned to be part of the solution, but realizing that potential requires a permitting framework that aligns with today’s energy needs, not one built for a different era. 

Electric demand is projected to grow significantly, and meeting that demand will require a range of solutions, including new generation, grid upgrades and modernized infrastructure. None of that can happen at the pace required without reform. 

The path forward is straightforward: a balanced, bipartisan effort to streamline permitting, maintain strong environmental safeguards and provide certainty in the process. Done correctly, this will help ensure reliable energy, more stable costs and a stronger economic future. 

Delaware and the region cannot afford to wait.

Mike Riemann is a principal civil engineer at Becker Morgan Group.