What is Energy Sustainability?
Broadly defined, energy sustainability is the provision of energy resources that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  More specifically, energy sustainability is a suite of energy policies that promote energy independence (reduce our reliance on imported energy by generating here at home), increase our use of renewable energy (energy sources that naturally renew their supplies, such as solar, wind and geothermal, rather than finite supply energy sources, including coal, nuclear and oil), adopt energy conservation (changing behaviors to use less energy), utilize energy efficiency (using technologies that require less energy to do the same amount of work) and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) which threaten our climate.

Reducing our Energy Use
Local governments use energy to heat, cool and light buildings, fuel vehicles, support computers and communications systems, light streets, assist police and engage in the many public services provided to residents, businesses, schools and community organizations.  Energy costs have increased dramatically over the past decade.  When local governments reduce the amount of energy that they need to provide services, they are able to save money and reduce their vulnerability to rising energy costs.  Often, investments in energy efficiency can pay for themselves in the amount of energy that they save in a short period of time.  Reduced energy costs enable local governments to use their revenue to improve other services or make new investments in infrastructure.  Visit the energy efficiency section of our resource library.

Promoting Renewable Energy
Promote city and local investment in distributed renewable energy and purchase renewable energy credits (RECs).  Distributed or consumer-sited renewable energy is coming down in price, gaining in popularity, and has the potential to produce tremendous environmental benefits by reducing transmission loss, lowering peak load, and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power.  Local governments can promote government-, commercial- and residential owned renewable energy and purchase renewable energy credits (RECs) to improve their renewable portfolio. Visit the renewable energy section of our resource library.


Create Green Jobs
Local investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation, green buildings, alternative transportation, “complete streets” and sustainability creates markets for local green jobs.  During a time of tight finances for all of Delaware's communities, green job development puts Delawareans to work making our world more sustainable for future generations.  Visit the green jobs section of our resource library.



Improve Building Stock
Buildings are a legacy for future generations.  Improvement in building standards for energy efficiency and their enforcement can promotes long-term energy sustainability and climate protection.  Often, the payback period for energy efficiency and green building improvements is short.  Improvements also increase the value of property and lower energy consumption for many decades.  Visit the green buildings section of our resource library.



Understanding Our Current Electricity Supply

Delaware's average fuel resource mix for electricity, 2008.

Increasing energy consumption and our choice of fuels to supply our hunger for energy are creating some of the most substantial environmental risks of the modern era.  Air pollutants from our energy use, be it from electricity, natural gas and fuel oil for the building sector, or gasoline and diesel fuel for the transportation sector, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, particulates, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, mercury, and other hazardous pollutants.  Lowering energy consumption also reduces the amount of energy that needs to be mined or extracted, resulting in energy savings throughout the entire energy cycle.  By saving energy through efficiency and conservation we can reduce the water pollution and environmental destruction at coal mines and oil wells, air emissions from power plants and refineries, as well as lower the need to store spent nuclear fuel.

The Environmental Impact of Coal:  55% of our electricity supply comes from coal.  It is important to note that Delaware does not have any coal reserves or coal mines.  We depend upon coal mining in other states for our energy supply in our regional energy grid (PJM Interconnection), particularly those in Appalachia, including Virginia and West Virginia.  The primary means of extracting coal in this region is Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining, a particularly destructive mining technique in which entire mountains are leveled to access coal seams.  The rocks, dirt and vegetation that are removed are deposited into stream valleys.  The environmental and social impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining are catastrophic.  Stream destruction, flooding, habitat loss, geologic instability, pollution, water contamination, job loss and chronic disease result from our reliance upon coal for electricity use and this particular mining technique.  There are two coal-fired power plants located in Delaware, the Indian River Power Plant located in Sussex County and the Edgemoor Power Plant in Wilmington.  These power plants have been investigated for their health impacts, including air pollution and cancer clusters.  Energy sustainability, environmental stewardship and climate protection require a reduction in our reliance upon coal as an energy supply.  Increasing renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation at the foundation of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.