Creating A Task Force To Study Nuclear Energy In Delaware.
SCR 18 creates the Delaware Nuclear Energy Feasibility Task Force to study whether small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) could be developed in Delaware. The resolution is built around findings that Delaware imports substantial amounts of electricity, faces reliability concerns as baseload generation retires, and may need new tools such as nuclear energy credits and Public Service Commission oversight if nuclear power is to become part of the state’s energy mix. The task force is directed to examine technical feasibility, siting, grid integration, costs, pricing, economic development, environmental effects, safety, waste disposal, emergency preparedness, and the legal and regulatory changes that would be needed to support SMR deployment.
The task force is structured as a 25-member body with legislative leaders, state agency officials, utility and public advocacy representatives, and governor-appointed experts from energy, environmental, business, labor, academia, and consumer protection fields. It must organize, meet, and produce a report with findings and recommendations by December 31, 2025. The resolution does not itself authorize construction or change energy law directly; instead, it establishes a study process that could inform future legislation on nuclear energy, clean energy standards, and related regulatory frameworks.
SCR 18 does not amend the Delaware Code or create a new regulatory program immediately. Its legal effect is to establish a temporary legislative task force and require state participation, staffing support, and a final report to the General Assembly and Governor. Any substantive changes to Delaware energy law, utility regulation, permitting, or clean energy credit systems would have to come later through separate legislation if the task force recommends them.
The overall sentiment appears generally supportive and forward-looking, with the resolution framed as a response to energy reliability, electricity import dependence, and climate goals. The broad bipartisan sponsorship and the 18-2 Senate third-reading vote suggest substantial agreement on the value of studying nuclear options, even if not necessarily on adopting them. The House third-reading entry shows no recorded vote in the provided history, so the strongest evidence of sentiment comes from the Senate action and the resolution’s extensive list of cross-sector supporters.
The main points of contention are likely to be the safety, waste disposal, emergency preparedness, environmental risks, and regulatory implications of nuclear deployment, all of which the task force is specifically asked to examine. There may also be disagreement over whether SMRs are cost-effective compared with renewables and other generation sources, and whether Delaware should create nuclear energy credits or other incentives similar to renewable energy credits. Supporters emphasize reliability, energy independence, lower carbon emissions, and economic development, while skeptics would likely focus on long-term nuclear risks, siting concerns, and the need for new legal and oversight structures.