House Natural Resources & Energy Committee Meeting

Wednesday, January 28, 2026·1h 45m·▶ Watch / Listen

The House Natural Resources & Energy Committee advanced three energy bills, including a contested net-metering interconnection update (HB 269, 9-5) and a landmark large-energy-user rate bill targeting data centers (HB 233, 11-3), both carrying last-minute amendments not seen in advance by Delmarva Power, over objections from skeptical members who questioned the committee's expertise and the economic consequences for business development.

Key Actions

·SB 210 – Community Solar Interconnection Territory FixPassed

+ 3 more actions

Controversies

HB 269 – Amendment distributed at hearing without advance notice to Delmarva Power

Ann Farley (First State Strategies for Delmarva Power) stated she had not seen the amendment distributed by Representative Burns at the hearing and formally requested time to review it before the bill moved to a floor vote; Representative Collins echoed that 'it seems unfair dropping such a profound amendment here,' but the committee voted the bill out over these objections after Burns committed to work with stakeholders before the floor vote.

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“The rollout of the community solar program in Delaware is one of the worst rollouts in the country. As of October of 2024, three years after this legislature moved forward the community solar energy program, there were zero projects interconnected.”
Vaughan Woodruff, Equinox DG / former IREC VP — Woodruff testified in support of HB 269, which would update Delaware's interconnection procedures from a 2008 standard to the most current version, arguing the outdated rules are a primary cause of Delaware's failure to bring community solar projects online.

+ 2 more quotes

Votes

Motion to release HB 269 from committeePassed

Yes (9)Representative Berry, Representative Burns, Representative Bush, Representative Carson, Representative Krista Griffith, Chair Deborah Heffernan, Representative Larry Lambert, Representative Sophie Phillips, Representative Claire Signer Hall

No (5)Representative Collins, Representative Gray, Representative Hilovsky, Representative Charles Postos Jr., Representative Jesse Vanderwind

Motion to release HB 233 from committee (made by Representative Griffith, seconded by Representative Phillips)Passed

Yes (11)Representative Berry, Representative Frank Burns, Representative Bill Bush, Representative Bill Carson, Representative Krista Griffith, Chair Deborah Heffernan, Representative Larry Lambert, Representative Sophie Phillips, Representative Charles Postils Jr., Representative Claire Snyder Hall, Representative Jesse Vanderwind

No (3)Representative Rich Collins, Representative Ron Gray, Representative Jeff Hilovsky

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TranscriptPreview

If you'd like to speak and put which bill you'd like to speak on, please note that any votes that may be taken shall be done by a roll call vote. We will be offering the bill for signatures to the committee members not present. If it receives enough signatures for release from committee, it will be reported out of committee on the next House floor during session. Let's begin today's meeting with a roll call. Representative Alana Berry. Present. Representative Frank Burns. Present. Representative Bill Bush. Representative Bill Carson. Present. Representative Rich Collins. Present. Representative Ron Gray. Present. Representative Krista Griffith. Present. Representative. Chair Deb Heffernan. Present. Representative Jeff Halofsky. Present. Representative Larry Lambert. Present. Vice Chair. Representative Sophie Phillips. Present. Representative Charles Pastos Jr. Present. Representative Claire Snyder Hall. Present. Representative Jesse Vanderwin. Present. Present. All right, we have a full house. That's pretty amazing. With the quorum being present, we will begin agenda item number three, SB 200 twin and act to amend title 26 of the Delaware code relating to public utilities. What this bill does is it mends the definition of community owned solar generating facility by adding the requirement that the point of interconnection…

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