Issue 549 - August 15, 2022

In This Issue:
  • Delaware's "Outdated" Public Education Funding System Under Scrutiny
  • New Law May Impact Homeowners Using Solar Panels, Net Metering
  • Delaware Spending Federal Money to Build More Electric Vehicle Changing Stations
  • State Rep. Briggs King Nationally Recognized for Advancing Good Mental Health


Delaware's "Outdated"  Public Education Funding System Under Scrutiny

Delaware's top public education official says his agency has launched a study to alter how public schools are financed in The First State.


“Delaware’s school funding system is outdated,” said Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Holodick. “We know change is needed, but we must make sure the direction we pursue is the right one for our state."


Currently, the state pays for about two-thirds of the operational and capital expenses of Delaware's public school system. The remainder is paid through property taxes imposed on school district residents. If property taxes need to be increased, citizens must usually* approve the hike via a referendum.


According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data, released in May, Delaware spends $17,235 annually for each student enrolled in public school. When compared to other states, that was the ninth-largest per pupil expenditure and more than $3,700 above the national average.

 

According to a brief statement recently issued by the Delaware Department of Education (DOE), the American Institutes for Research (AIR) has been contracted "to analyze current policy and make recommendations for improvements, with a focus on equity for all students."  The non-profit group recently developed state-specific cost models for public education in Vermont and the New Hampshire Commission to Study School Funding. 


As detailed in the DOE statement: "In total, the [AIR] team has collectively evaluated and advised on school finance systems in 16 states and 'examined alternative approaches to school funding in different states, simulated recommended funding allocations for each district in those states, and determined local tax burdens to achieve the recommended funding levels.'"


The group's work will include a comprehensive analysis of existing funding, a comparative analysis with other states, and feedback from stakeholders. A final report is expected to be delivered in November 2023.


* - Under Delaware law, school district officials have some limited ability to raise taxes without a referendum to cover some aspects of school funding.

Delaware Spending Federal Money to Build More Electric Vehicle Changing Stations


One Lawmaker Raises Questions About the

Aggressive Push Towards EVs


Delaware plans to locate 11 multi-car, fast-charging electric vehicle charging stations along major travel routes followed by an expansion of EV charging stations into residential communities over the next five years.


Under a recent plan jointly submitted by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the agencies propose spending almost $18 million in federal money on a three-phase initiative to establish new vehicle charging stations along I-95, SR 1, U.S. 13, and U.S. 113. The plan also calls for locating stations in high-density residential areas, focusing on areas with multi-family housing and/or street parking in areas that may not otherwise have convenient charging options.


The operators and exact locations of the EV stations in the general identified areas would be chosen through a competitive process after additional planning and public input. EV drivers would pay for the use of the chargers.


Delaware's plan is part of the National Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program that aims to place 500,000 new EV charging stations across the country by 2030. 


“Tailpipe emissions from our vehicles are the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions both here in Delaware and across the country," said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. "Making it easier for Delawareans to choose to drive electric is a key strategy in Delaware’s Climate Action Plan.” 


DelDOT Secretary Nicole Majeski said installing charging stations here and around the country will increase consumer confidence that purchasing an electric vehicle is a practical choice, and is good for Delaware.


"They are not offering a choice to consumers, they are forcing them down a path," said State Rep. Rich Collins (R-Millsboro).


In early March, Governor John Carney announced that Delaware is joining 13 other states in adopting California’s Advanced Clean Car II initiative. Under that program's proposed regulations, the sale of traditionally fueled light-duty passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs would be rapidly scaled down starting with the 2026 model year, culminating with a total ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles in 2035. 


"We continue to see elected officials forcing problematic electric vehicle technology onto a reluctant public based more on political ideology than sound science and rationality," Rep. Collins said.


As an example, he cites the fast charging stations the Carney administration plans to build. "According to the U.S. Transportation Department, fast chargers will still take 20 minutes to an hour to deliver an 80% charge," Rep. Collins said. "What kind of chaos will that produce at a Wawa at the beach on a summer weekend or any other high-traffic location?"


Rep. Collins said the performance of EV technology is also significantly inferior to gasoline and diesel vehicles in a variety of common situations. Especially relevant for downstate Delawareans, he said the range of an EV pick-up truck carrying a load or hauling a trailer pales in comparison to its traditional counterpart.


"There are other huge issues that have not been addressed, such as the sourcing of the materials needed for battery manufacturing, disposing or recycling vehicle batteries on a massive scale, the consumer cost of replacing batteries, and the limitations of the power grid to support hundreds-of-thousands of Delawareans simultaneously recharging their cars when they get home at night.


"We should be allowing consumers to voluntarily purchase EVs as they wish, allowing this technology to naturally mature and advance," Rep. Collins said. "Instead, we're seemingly barreling down the road of good intentions without a firm handle on what's waiting for us at the end of the ride."

New Law May Impact Homeowners

Using Solar Panels, Net Metering

A bill signed into law late last month will potentially impact Delawareans using solar panels to generate electricity.


Senate Bill 298 makes several notable changes, some of which are affecting homeowners and others that use solar panels to produce power for themselves and sell the surplus back to the grid through a process known as "net metering."


Sen. Stephanie Hansen (D-Middletown) was one of the prime sponsors of the new law, which she says was needed to deal with the rapidly changing nature of how and where electricity is produced, sold, and distributed in Delaware.


"For every kilowatt hour of energy that you export to the grid, you receive the full retail value of another kilowatt hour of energy from the electric company," Sen. Hansen wrote in a recent email to lawmakers explaining how net metering works. "At the end of the month, if the amount of electricity you import (bring in from the grid) exceeds the amount you export to the grid from your solar system, you pay the difference. You pay for the net amount of energy you import from the grid....If what you export to the grid is greater than what you import, then you can carry the balance forward as a credit into the next month." 


As the cost of installing residential solar systems has declined, increasing numbers of Delaware homeowners have invested in the technology. While Sen. Hansen says this development is generally welcome news, she said it has also produced growing inequities.

 

She said consumers who are credited the full retail value of energy are not paying for building, maintaining, and upgrading the power distribution system as well as energy efficiency, renewable, and green energy initiatives.  These costs are borne by traditional ratepayers, an inequity that Sen. Hansen said will grow as more Delawareans move to solar systems.


Among the changes made by the new law:


  • It requires every customer serviced by an electricity utility, including net metering customers, to pay a share of the cost of maintaining the power grid and government-mandated energy programs.


  • While net-metering credits will still roll over month-to-month, with customers continuing to get full retail credit month-to-month, the legislation eliminates the end-of-the-year payout for any unused excess credits. 


  • The law caps at $200 the amount a consumer using net metering will need to initially spend on the specialized meter, the cost of which currently exceeds $400.


The law makes one additional change that should expand net metering opportunities, at least in the short term. Before the enactment of SB 298, electric utilities could stop offering net metering to any new customers if the total collective energy from such customers comprised more than 5% of a utility’s monthly peak demand. Electricity obtained via net metering already reportedly exceeded this threshold in the areas served by the Town of Middletown, the City of Seaford, and the Delaware Electric Cooperative. The law raises the cap to 8%. 


Sen. Hansen said the new law took more than a year to fashion and included input from regulators, consumer advocates, power utilities, and others but she said it's only an interim measure. She indicated Delaware, and many other states, need to continue working on future changes to net metering -- "Net Metering 2.0" -- as the use of privately produced solar energy grows. 

State Rep. Briggs King Nationally Recognized for Advancing Good Mental Health

Mental Health America (MHA) has recognized 11 state legislators as MHA’s 2022 Legislative Champions, including two from Delaware.


Delaware State Rep. Ruth Briggs King (R-Georgetown, Long Neck) was among those honored.  According to MHA officials, Rep. Briggs King was selected for her work to enhance access to telehealth and telemedicine services, and her efforts to ensure student access to mental health professionals in schools.


Mental Health America describes itself as "the nation's leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all."


State Sen. Laura Sturgeon (D-Sharpley) was the other Delaware legislator recognized.


“These legislators are all working tirelessly in their states to improve mental health support and increase access to care for their constituents,” said Debbie Plotnick, executive vice president for state and federal advocacy at MHA.  “We at MHA appreciate their commitment and commend their achievements in school-based mental health, parity, crisis care, telehealth, and more. They are an inspiration to the other legislators in their states and nationwide” 


IN PHOTO:  In a Georgetown state office, State Rep. Ruth Briggs King recently accepted her award during a virtual presentation