The Public's Role in Shaping Delaware's Energy Future

All of Delaware is waiting to see what the Public Service Commission (PSC) will do at its meeting this morning. The News Journal reports that PSC executive director Bruce Burcat acknowledges the role of public involvement in shaping the process and hopefully the outcome:

The wind project was bolstered by a public that made it clear it was behind the proposal, said Bruce Burcat, PSC executive director. Thousands of people weighed in on the question, with the "significant majority" supporting the wind project, he said.
"A thousand people saying one sentence, we just want wind power, that's one thing. We would take note of that. But they added significantly to the debate, and the information that was provided," Burcat said. "We haven't seen this much involvement by the public in a PSC process before."

The public record is packed with letters supporting wind power; one of my favorites is this from a schoolchild named Ashley Dennis:
Meanwhile, the News Journal reports that another consultant has further muddied the waters by recommending the creation of a state energy authority:

State consultants recommended partial re-regulation of Delaware's electricity market on Monday, adding another twist to the debate over the need for new power plants in the state.
"Delaware cannot simply turn the clock back to pre-1999 and try to reinstate regulation," the report, written by national experts Nancy Brockway and John Stutz, cautioned.
The state could take partial control of the electricity market by creating a state-run Delaware Energy Authority to build power plants and sell electricity to residential customers, the report recommended. Such a system could end consumer rights to sign up with other suppliers but create a stable, consumer-friendly market.

The report, along with two appendices, can be downloaded from the Website of the Office of Management and Budget.