DOVER, DE- Delaware's Democratic leaders are calling for a halt to a proposed electric rate increase, sending a letter to the Public Service Commission urging regulators to reject Delmarva Power's latest proposal. However, across the aisle, Republicans say those same Democrats should shoulder the blame for the situation.
Back in December, Delmarva Power requested its third base rate hike in roughly five years — more than $67 million with a 10.5 percent return on equity. If approved, officials say base rates could rise between $9 and $16 per month, or roughly 16% to 24%, depending on usage.
Democratic lawmakers in the General Assembly said the timing of the increase is poor and unacceptable, which is why majority party members from both the House and the Senate joined to send a letter urging the Public Service Commission to reject the proposal.
Sen. Kyra Hoffner, D-District 14, one of the signers, said the hike would hit residents who are already struggling to afford their bills.
"We really need to protect our Delawareans. We passed a law that it should be prudence-based, and they're not holding up to their end of the bargain. So this letter was important to remind them that our Delawareans come first. Electricity is an essential, it's not a luxury."
Hoffner said the proposed increase would unfairly affect many across Delmarva and that passing the cost to customers is inappropriate.
"What are we doing with our seniors who are on a fixed income? They're not going to be able to pay this. So this letter was important to remind them that we are watching them. This is unacceptable."
Republicans said they were unaware of the letter to the Public Service Commission and argued that Democrats may be misplacing blame for the current situation.
Rep. Bryan Shupe, R-District 36 said the majority party is responsible for the policies driving the rate increases and suggested they should point the finger at themselves.
"It's definitely a political move. The majority party, the Democrats in Delaware, were the ones who implemented and passed the green energy mandates. And that is why we see the increases in electric rates today."
Shupe added that the state should focus on reducing or eliminating green energy mandates rather than blaming the utility.
"The public service commission already has the ability not to raise the hikes, so they can already do that. The statement itself is just a political call to say, " Hey, let's push it off to somebody else."
In response to the letter, Delmarva Power released a statement to WBOC, saying in part: "We respect the role of state leaders and regulators in this process and look forward to continuing a transparent discussion focused on reliability, affordability, and the long-term energy needs of Delaware families and businesses."
WBOC also reached out to the Public Service Commission, which said it had no comment at this time.
According to the state's website, a final decision on the proposed rate hike is not expected until late 2026.