"Doing nothing is not an option" - task force begins nuclear feasibility examination

A 25-member task force began its review Monday into the feasibility of nuclear energy in The First State.

Specifically, the panel that was created through bipartisan legislation passed by the General Assembly this year is looking at the possibility of deploying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to meet the rising demand for energy in Delaware. According to the task force co-chair Senator Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown, several major areas of concern will be examined: “are SMRs safe for people and the environment, how much energy will SMRs produce, how much do SMRs cost, how long does it take to build SMRs, and where can SMRs be built.”

State Senator Bryant Richardson, R-Seaford was chief sponsor of Senate Concurrent Resolution 18 to authorize the study of nuclear power in Delaware.

Also from Sussex County, task force member Representative Jeff Hilovsky, R- Oak Orchard, Long Neck, Angola added: “perhaps the solution is small modular reactors, and maybe it’s a combination of a lot of things. But, what we do know is at this point in time doing nothing is not an option.”

Under the resolution, Governor Matt Meyer was able to appoint eight members to the task force. They include Dr. Jennifer, Clemons of Penn State, who previously chaired the energy technologies program at Delaware Tech and taught in the nuclear program at Salem Community College. She said it would be important to clearly define terms such as clean, renewable and sustainable.

“When we’re writing this policy, we’re going to need to be really clear what ‘clean’ means and how do we define clean,” Clemons said.

Demand for power is expected to continue to grow. As it is, according to the United States Energy Information Administration, Delaware uses nearly 100 times more energy than it produces.

“With data centers and other changes in the economy, there is projected to be a massive increase in demand for power, and that increase in demand for power is going to move a lot more quickly than typically, historically, generation has been able to be built,” Delaware Public Advocate Jameson Tweedie said.

The task force’s findings are expected to be presented to the Governor and the Delaware General Assembly by December 31st, 2025. 

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