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Sarena's LibGuide: CCP - Delaware Specific

DE State Climate Data & Tools for Vulnerability (11/18/22)

Delaware Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Flooding: Observations, Impacts and Projections (11/18/22)

Climate Change in Delaware Temperature and Precipitation (11/18/22)

Transportation Resiliency & Sustainability Division (11/18/22)

Focus:

  • Equity
  • Transportation infrastructure resiliency & sustainability
  • Carbon reduction
  • Electric vehicle charging infrastructure plan and implementation

Delaware's greatest challenge is FLOODING

Environmental Justice (11/18/22)

DE State & Local Resiliency Planning (12/15/22)

Sizing Up Delaware's Capacity for Climate Change Adaptation (12/15/22)

Danielle Swallow, Delaware Sea Grant

DE by the numbers:

  • 45th most populous state
  • 3 counties
  • 57 incorporated towns
  • all in federal coastal zone
  • flooding is #1 hazard

Population & Demographics:

  • 121.8% Increase in the state's population since 1960 (Sussex Co. 224% increase)
  • Homeless population has doubled since 2019
  • 10th fastest aging state in the nation (particularly in coastal areas)

Construction & Land Use Practices

Adopt Higher Standards

Support Capacity-Building at the State/Local Level

Invest in Our Social Infrastructure

  • Identify Delaware's vulnerable populations and their proximity to services
  • Expand social services to address gaps
  • Transfer benefits of sustainability and resilience initiatives to disadvantaged groups
  • Support social networks and disaster response and recovery groups

City of Newark Sustainability Plan (12/15/22)

Mike Fortner, City of Newark

Comprehensive Development Plan V - Vision:

  • Healthy and active Community
  • Sustainable Community
  • Inclusive Community

Delaware's Sustainable Communities Planning Grant 2017 Opportunity

Land Use Planning in the Town of Milton (12/15/22)

Kristy Rogers, Town of Milton

Adaptation Planning and Tools in Delaware (12/15/22)

Susan Love, DNREC CCE, Climate and Sustainability

In Delaware, climate change primarily takes the form of:

  • Sea level rise
  • Increased temperatures
  • More frequent intense storms, including heavy precipitation and flooding

A Snapshot of what's at risk in Delaware

Residential Addresses - Protected Lands  - Water Supply Wells
within 1.5 meter scenario

Last Century's Conservation Laws Have Big Impact Today: (note none are specific to climate change)

  • Delaware's Coastal Zone Act (1971) - Prohibits Industrial Development in coastal strip
  • Delaware's Beach Preservation Act (1972) - Establishes funding for beach management, a "building line" and protections for dunes
  • Delaware's Wetland Act (1973) - Prohibits filling of tidal wetlands without a permit
  • Delaware Land Protection Act (1990) - Establishes funding mechanism for land conservation
  • Delaware's Land Use Planning Act (revised 2001)

Resources:

DE State Emissions Reduction Policy & Programs (12/1/22)

Emissions Reduction Policy in Delaware (12/1/22)

Annina Northridge, CCE Climate Team

History Lesson!: Mitigation in Delaware

2000: The Green Energy Fund Launches
2005: Delaware's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Act (amended in 2021)
2008: Delaware Joins the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
2009: Code for Energy Conservation
2010: Low Emission Vehicle Program
2014: The Delaware Energy Act
2014: Regulation for State Energy Conservation Code (amended in 2020)
2017: Joins the United States Climate Alliance
2021: Regulation Prohibits Certain HFCs

Advancing Green Energy in Delaware (12/1/22)

Energy Policy in Delaware
Brett Swan, DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal Energy (CCE)

Focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, building codes, energy security, and overall energy policy planning.
Agency & staff leads for: 

  • Renewable Energy Taskforce
  • Energy Efficiency Advisory Council
  • Governor's Energy Advisory Council

Energy Equity & Environmental Justice

Community Solar

Clean Transportation in Delaware (12/1/22)

Breanne Preisen, Clean Transportation Planner
Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy

Health Impacts from Tailpipe Emissions:

Human Health Environmental Health
Respiratory Infections, Asthma, COPD Increased temperatures and heavier rain storms
Cardiovascular diseases Poor water quality, harmful to fish
Stroke, Depression, Headaches Organ and reproductive failure
Osteoporosis, Impaired liver and kidney function Crop damage, contaminated soils

 

Electric Vehicle Types

Levels of Electric Vehicle Charging

Levels of Vehicle Charging

Charging Stations Installation Efforts - Funded through: Delaware's VW Mitigation Settlement Funds, National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Funds (under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law)

Where Are We Going?

Electric vehicles are not the final answer: Walk, Bike, Carpool, Transit

Challenges: Grid stability, Not enough charging, Uncertainty on pace of deployment

Delaware Statewide EV Charging Infrastructure Plan

Natural & Working Lands in Delaware (NWLs) (12/1/22)

Catie Soriano, CCE Sustainability Team
Natural and Working Lands: Delaware's Nature-Based Solutions to Mitigating Climate Change

  • Natural and Working Lands (NWLs)
  • Carbon Sequestration and Storage
  • Benefits of NWLs
  • NWLs and Delaware's GHG Inventory
  • Best Management Practices (BMPs)
  • Delaware Strategies and Programs

What is a NWL? - Lands and ecosystems that have the potential to sequester and store carbon. Ag lands, forestlands, wetlands, grasslands, meadowlands, shrublands, and urban greenspaces. Additional benefits.

NWLs can:

  • Offset GHG
  • Support wildlife
  • Offer recreational opportunities
  • Provide shade and curb heat island effects
  • Improve soil and water quality
  • Improve human health

NWLs and Delaware's GHG Inventory

Sources of Emissions
Carbon Sinks and the Inventory - sequester and store more CO2 from the atmosphere than they release

NWLs and the Inventory (Delaware)

Delaware's Strategies and Programs

Delaware Climate Action Plan (2021)