Delaware reduces rebates for green energy projects

The First State is handing out less green for its renewable energy projects, thanks in large part to a newly established federal grant.

Delaware's Green Energy Program has been providing cash incentives to state residents who install solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal heating and cooling systems in their homes for the past nine years.

Up until May of this year, the grant covered 50 percent of the cost for hundreds of residential and commercial projects in Delaware.

Now, the state will only be covering 25 percent of the cost because of a newly established federal energy tax credit that makes up the 25 to 30 percent difference for homeowners and businesses.

DNREC Policy Director Philip Cherry says the changes are in the best interest of Delawareans. "We're leveraging those federal dollars to stretch our state monies even further," Cherry says, "So, we can now provide more grants to more delawareans with the limited source of funding that we have"

Cherry says the rebate given to Delaware's homeowners and businesses will remain unchanged at 50 percent coverage, or more, but the allocation of the funding has been restructured.

The state's Green Energy Program has been booming since 2006 when Delmarva Power issued a 60 percent hike in prices for customers. The energy office has already received 150 applications so far this year, which is equal to the total amount of applications received throughout all of last year.

Due to this increased demand in the program, grant recipients can expect to wait a year or more for their refund.

For more information on Delaware's Green Energy Program, log onto www.energy.dnrec.delaware.gov