Delawareans interested in learning more about energy in the First State, and some of the catalysts behind rising energy prices, will have an opportunity to hear from some of Delaware’s energy experts at the Delaware’s Energy Future: A Conversation with Experts event taking place Wednesday, May 20 from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. at the Brandywine Hundred library located at 1300 Foulk Road in Wilmington.

The event is hosted by Delaware Sea Grant and will include panelists from a diverse group of energy sectors including industry, energy efficiency and policy making.

Panelists include:

• Tom Noyes, Administrator of State Energy Office, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
• Drew Slater, Executive Director of Energize Delaware
• Robert DeNight, Vice President of Nuclear Engineering at Public Service Enterprise Group; and
• Jameson Tweedie, Delaware Public Advocate

Kathryn Lienhard, Energy Research Associate for Delaware Sea Grant, said that accelerating electrification, multiplying A.I. data centers, and Delaware’s growing population combine to make the future of energy in Delaware incredibly uncertain.

It was partially because of the need for more electricity that in 2025, the Delaware General Assembly voted to create the state’s first nuclear energy task force.

“The general buzz about nuclear energy and electricity in general, with proposed data centers and other large load users, has created a sentiment that we're going to need more electricity, so where is all of this electricity going to come from?” said Lienhard. “That was the premise for organizing these panels.”

The first panel was held at the Lewes Public Library in February, and Lienhard said that because this event is taking place in Wilmington, there will be a greater focus on data centers.

“There's at least one proposed data center in New Castle County so we're definitely going to touch on that,” said Lienhard. “Also, for customers of Delmarva Power, an electric corporation that serves a lot of Delawareans up north, they have felt the pressures of high electricity bills over the past two winters. That's mostly due to the extreme cold, but there are also some other factors at play that affect Delmarva Power customers versus other customers. So, we will talk about that as well.”

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited, and registration is required. To register, click here.

For more information, contact Kathryn Lienhard at lienhard@udel.edu.