DOVER, Del.- The battle against climate change in Delaware is moving forward as lawmakers propose an ambitious package of bills backed by Governor John Carney.
The bills look to reduce carbon emissions by 100 percent by the year 2050, a goal set forth in House Bill 99, filed last week.
There are six House Bills on the table and one Senate Bill. They all have a similar goal, but would take different steps to get there.
School busses on Delaware roads pump out carbon on a daily basis. That's what's driving Sen. Stephanie Hansen (D-Middletown) to sponsor House Bill 10.
It would establish targets for the annual purchase of state-owned electric school buses through fiscal year 2030, gradually increasing the percentage of electric buses.
Currently, the state Department of Education owns about 500 buses, used in various districts throughout the state and replaces about 50 buses each year.
HB 10 would require that 5% of the buses the state replaces in fiscal 2025 are electric. Those percentages would increase in 5% increments each year until it reaches 30% in fiscal 2030.
"If you've been behind a school bus, it's not a pleasant experience. There are a lot of emissions that are there, so being able to tackle some of those more difficult-to-tackle vehicles like school buses and having the state lead by example is really important," Sen. Hansen said.
Another bill, HB 11, would require new commercial buildings, over 50,000 square feet, to be solar panel ready.
"They're not ready yet. And so we need to make sure they are built to those standards so when that company says, you know what, let's make this change, they have the ability and capability to do so," said co-sponsor Sen. Russell Huxtable (D-Lewes).
Sen. Huxtable said this bill could also help address ongoing concerns about solar projects on agricultural land.
Climate advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club believe these bills will better support DNREC's proposed electric vehicle mandate, which sets a goal for all new car purchases in Delaware to be electric by 2035.
"The market is happening, so the question is not do we follow this regulation or that regulation anymore. The question is do we want to play catch up later down the road or do we want automakers to prioritize Delaware now?" said Director Dustyn Thompson.
Sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride (D-Wilmington) and Rep. Krista Griffith (D-Fairfax), Senate Bill 103 would make it easier and more convenient to own an electric vehicle in Delaware by requiring that newly constructed single-family and multi-family residential dwellings include certain electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
SB 103 also would provide county and municipal government enforcement of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure requirements.
Supporters said these bills are even more critical for Delaware since it is the lowest-lying state in the nation.
The House Bills will be heard in the Natural Resources and Energy Committee, while Senate Bill 103 has been assigned to the Environment, Energy, and Transportation Committee.