Delaware’s Dependence on Imported Coal

In 2008, Delaware imported all the coal used by its power plants, resulting in over $161 million leaving the state. While coal provided 70 percent of in-state power generation, the state has implemented an energy efficiency resource standard requiring a 2.5 percent annual reduction in electricity use from 2010 to 2015 and a renewable electricity standard targeting 20 percent of power from renewable resources by 2019.

• Delaware is entirely dependent on imported coal for its power plants, with sources located as far as Colorado and Wyoming, costing the state more than $161 million in 2008.
• Coal accounted for 70 percent of Delaware's in-state power generation in 2008, despite the state having no coal mining operations.
• Delaware ranks as the 4th most dependent state on net imports as a share of total electricity use at 69 percent, and the 8th most expensive in terms of net imports per person at $183.
• To reduce coal dependence, Delaware established an energy efficiency resource standard in 2009 requiring utilities to reduce electricity use by an annual average of 2.5 percent between 2010 and 2015.
• Delaware has a renewable electricity standard requiring 20 percent of the state's power to come from renewable resources by 2019, with technical potential to meet 43 percent of 2008 electricity needs via in-state land-based renewables like solar and bioenergy.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2010). Delaware’s Dependence on Imported Coal. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Delaware.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Delaware’s Dependence on Imported Coal. 2010. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Delaware.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Delaware’s Dependence on Imported Coal |date=May 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Delaware.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2010delawares, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Delaware’s Dependence on Imported Coal}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/UCS-BCBC-factsheet-Delaware.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }