govt.fyi
Back to HB 445
Delaware General Assembly· HB 445Signed

This Act requires large energy use facilities to produce renewable energy within the state to power their operations to prevent a drain on the electric grid., the official text

Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Delaware General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the current version. The official bill page.
SPONSOR: Rep. Heffernan & Rep. Minor-Brown & Sen. Hansen
                                                                       Reps. Gorman, K. Johnson, Morrison, Romer, Snyder-
                                                                       Hall, Gray, Griffith, Lambert, Ortega, Phillips; Sens.
                                                                       Hoffner, Wilson, Pinkney, Seigfried

                                          HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                            153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                                                HOUSE BILL NO. 445

    AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 26 AND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO LARGE ENERGY USE
    FACILITIES.

    BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

1   Section 1. Amend § 102, Title 26 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and

2 insertions as shown by underline as follows and by redesignating accordingly:

3   § 102. Definitions.

4   As used in this title, unless the context otherwise requires:

5   (2) “Large energy use facility” means a facility that uses or is able to use 30 megawatts or more and is

6   primarily engaged in providing a service described under code 518210 of the 2022 North American Industry

7   Classification System.

8   Section 2. Amend § 202, Title 26 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and

9 insertions as shown by underline as follows:

10  § 202. Limitations on jurisdiction of Commission.

11  (f) Except insofar as may be necessary to implement Chapter 10 of this title regarding the establishment of retail

12 competition, competition and as may be necessary to ensure large energy use facilities do not negatively affect the

13 reliability and affordability of the public electric grid, the Commission shall have no supervision or regulation over any

14 electric supplier.

15  Section 3. Amend Chapter 80, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and

16 insertions as shown by underline as follows and redesignate accordingly:

17  § 8052. Definitions.

18  For the purposes of this subchapter:

19  (3) “Large energy use facility” means as defined under § 102 of Title 26.

20  § 8066. Large energy use facilities.

21  (a) Large energy use facilities may not operate in the state unless the facility produces sufficient power in the

22  state to support its operations, subject to subsection (b) of this section. All power generated in the state must meet the

    HD : GOG : DS                               Page 1 of 3                      Released: 05/21/2026 12:09 PM
    0081530085
23  renewable energy portfolio standards established under Subchapter III of Chapter 1 of Title 26, except that a facility

24  may use a combination of one or more of the following to meet the percentage thresholds established therein:

25                 a. An eligible energy resource as defined in Subchapter III of Chapter 1 of Title 26.

26                 b. Nuclear power.

27  (b) A large energy use facility that does not anticipate producing sufficient power within the state to support its

28 operations immediately must submit to the Public Service Commission a plan to increase the facility’s energy production in

29 the State each year so that the facility is producing 100% of its annual energy needs within 10 years of commencing

30 operations.

31              (1) New energy production generation must be sought out and funded by the large energy use facility or in

32  part by the large energy use facility.

33              (2) The large energy use facility may not connect to the public electric grid until it has at least 25% of its

34  required energy generation online. The energy generation must meet the renewable energy portfolio standards under

35  Subchapter III of Chapter I of Title 26, except that a facility may use a combination of one or more of the following to

36  meet the percentage thresholds established therein:

37                 a. An eligible energy resource as defined in Subchapter III of Chapter 1 of Title 26.

38                 b. Nuclear power.

39              (3) The large use energy facility may not connect to the public electric grid unless it has entered a 30-year

40  binding contract with the Public Service Commission that contains, at a minimum, a guaranteed insurance bond that

41  pays into the General Fund if the large energy use facility attempts to terminate the contract or goes bankrupt.

42  (c) A large energy use facility that fails to produce sufficient renewable energy in the state to support its

43 obligations in a calendar year, or the planned amount of energy if subject to an agreement under subsection (b) of this

44 section, must pay a penalty in an amount determined by the Public Service Commission, which must be sufficient to cover

45 the costs of producing the energy or creating the infrastructure that the facility failed to produce or create.

46  (d) A large energy use facility must pay for any upgrades to transmission and energy delivery required by the

47 facility, as well as new energy generation facilities, as determined by the Public Service Commission. Any costs incurred

48 by the Public Service Commission to make determinations or manage the requirements of this section with respect to a

49 large energy use facility may also be recovered from the large energy use facility.

                                                                        SYNOPSIS

              This Act requires large energy use facilities to produce renewable energy within the state to power their operations
    to prevent a drain on the electric grid. It provides for a “ramp-up” period requiring that a large energy use facility provide a
    plan to the Public Service Commission to ramp up their energy production within the state each year so that by the 10th
    year of operations, the facility is producing 100% of its energy usage through in-state production.

    HD : GOG : DS                           Page 2 of 3                                 Released: 05/21/2026 12:09 PM
    0081530085
          This Act also allows the Public Service Commission to regulate electric suppliers insofar as necessary to ensure
that large energy use facilities do not negatively affect the reliability of the electric grid.

HD : GOG : DS  Page 3 of 3  Released: 05/21/2026 12:09 PM
0081530085
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.