Providing safe and reliable energy service is at the core of what we do, and we recognize the critical role we play in our customers’ lives. We work throughout the year to build a more reliable and resilient energy grid, investing in modern technologies that help us provide the level of service they can depend on.

As part of our broader strategic effort to modernize the local energy grid, we are working on innovative projects that make our system stronger in the face of more extreme weather, improve reliability, and help our communities become more resilient to a changing environment.

This work includes upgrading transmission lines, enhancing substations, installing steel utility poles that can withstand hurricane-force winds, and integrating advanced technologies and specialized equipment, like smart switches and reclosers, to detect issues and restore service faster by automatically isolating damage.

We recently completed several key projects to enhance reliability. These efforts have contributed to our customers experiencing a 46 percent decrease in outages over the past 10 years, and with more improvements on the way, we’re continuing to build a smarter, stronger energy future.

• The Carrcroft to Silverside Reliability Project upgraded more than 1.4 miles of existing transmission line with new state-of-the-art steel utility poles and modern equipment to enhance service reliability for more than 6,000 customers in New Castle County, Delaware.
• The Lincoln to Milton Reliability Project includes upgrading nearly six miles of power lines in the Ellendale, Lincoln, Milford and Milton areas of Delaware to benefit more than 3,100 customers.
• The Vienna to Nelson Reliability Project included rebuilding nearly 14 miles of critical transmission line between Vienna, Maryland and Delmar, Delaware, to improve service for more than 57,000 customers. This project also supported the retirement of NRG’s Indian River power plant, the last coal-fired power plant in Delaware.
• The Vienna to West Cambridge Reliability Project included upgrading nearly 20 miles of transmission line benefitting nearly 12,000 customers in Dorchester County, Maryland.

Our Delaware customers continue to benefit from our ongoing efforts to modernize and enhance our natural gas delivery system. Customers experienced approximately 22 percent less hazardous gas leaks in 2024, compared to the previous three-year average, and a nearly 48 percent reduction in interruptions, compared to 2023.

• Through our Cast Iron Replacement Project, we are replacing aging cast-iron and bare-steel natural gas mains with new plastic pipe, which enhances safety, durability, and reliability.
• Each year, we modernize more than eight miles of natural gas mains across our service area, replacing existing natural gas mains with new plastic pipe that’s safer, longer-lasting and better-equipped to serve our communities. We started this comprehensive modernization work in 2002 and anticipate completing it in 2027, five years ahead of schedule.

We understand how much our customers rely on energy to power their homes, businesses, and everyday moments. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in our electric and natural gas infrastructure prudently and efficiently to benefit our customers, while working to keep costs as manageable as possible. Visit delmarva.com/Reliability to learn more about these and other reliability improvement projects.