Energizing Delaware
Mark Green
Posted August 16, 2016
The fact that Delaware has no oil or natural gas production doesn’t diminish the important part the state plays in America’s overall energy sector.
Click on the thumbnail to open a two-page energy infographic for The First State.
Delaware is home to the Delaware City coking refinery, one of two coking refineries on the East Coast. These supply petroleum coke for the electric power and industrial sectors and makes up about a fifth of the nation’s finished petroleum product exports, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
In addition to that energy infrastructure, the state’s Delaware River ports and rail network make it critically important to the shipment of crude oil for refining in the state and neighboring states.
In terms of Delaware’s energy use, 85 percent of its electricity is generated from natural gas. More than 60 percent of the petroleum used in the state is consumed by the transportation sector, largely as gasoline.
The U.S. leads the world in oil and natural gas production, thanks to an energy renaissance driven by safe and responsible hydraulic fracturing. To sustain and grow domestic production, we need forward-leaning energy policies that will help strengthen our energy security, add jobs, fuel economic growth and benefit U.S. households. Conversely, an energy policy bounded by unnecessary, potentially duplicative regulatory constraints will have negative impacts on jobs, the economy and consumers.
Energy is essential for virtually every aspect of our daily lives. It powers national, state and local economies, gets us to work and goes into products we rely on for health and comfort. Safe, responsible energy development here at home is linked to national security as well as Americans’ individual prosperity and liberty – in Delaware and all the 50 states of energy.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.