Delaware

Indian River Power Plant to shut down two years ahead of schedule. Here are the details

Published

1 year ago

December 28, 2024

Indian River Power Plant to shut down two years ahead of schedule. Here are the details

The only operational unit of Delaware’s sole coal-fired power plant will shut down in February, nearly two years ahead of schedule.

Indian River Unit 4 near Dagsboro originally was scheduled to shut down in 2026 while electrical grids were upgraded to ensure reliability, but regional grid manager PJM announced on Monday, Dec. 23, that the power plant’s unit can shut down 22 months early without causing adverse impacts on the grid’s reliability.

The company has stated that this early shutdown will save consumers nearly $100 million and will soon make Delaware the sixth state in the country with no coal-fired power plants in operation.

Here are the details.

Why is the plant shutting down?

The Indian River station, located near Dagsboro, is Delaware’s only remaining coal-fired power plant and one of the state’s top air polluters. It consists of four units, three of which have been retired for at least 11 years.

PJM announced on Monday, Dec. 23, that the Indian River Unit 4, which is owned by NRG, could retire by February 2025, two years ahead of its scheduled deactivation date.

Delmarva Power, which owns the transmission lines in the region, has reportedly completed the required transmission upgrades that would enable the power plant to shut down without negatively impacting electrical reliability. PJM says this shutdown will save wholesale electricity customers around $93 million.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 18, Delmarva Power completed its final stage of transmission upgrades that would allow the power plant unit to shut down.

“Delmarva’s good work to complete this project far ahead of schedule is a win for our customers, both from a reliability and affordability perspective,” said Mike Bryson, senior vice president – operations at PJM. “PJM regards RMR arrangements as a last resort to keep units temporarily operational to maintain system reliability while we make transmission improvements to balance the system, so the sooner we can get the work done, the better.”

In June of 2021, NRG notified PJM of its intent to shut down the unit in 2022, but after PJM conducted a reliability analysis, it was concluded that this shutdown date would cause adverse impacts on electric customers, and the unit’s life was extended until December 2026 to give Delmarva Power time to upgrade the electric grid.

At the time of the announced extension, customers were expected to bear the brunt of the cost, with an estimated average monthly bill increase of around $6.45.

Indian River power plant’s dirty history

The Indian River plant has been a subject of environmental and public health scrutiny for decades.

In August of 2007, the Delaware Division of Public Health confirmed the presence of a “cancer cluster” in the area immediately surrounding the Indian River Power Plant, with a cancer rate 17% higher than the national average at the time.

The 2007 toxic release inventory, released in 2009, listed the Indian River Power Plant as the top emitter of toxic releases, with 88% of the emissions being acid gasses known to have harmful effects on human health and safety.

In March of 2009, the grassroots environmentalist organization Citizens for Clean Power sued the Indian River Power Plant for committing over 6,000 violations of state and federal air pollution regulations.

However, in 2011, the Delaware Cancer Consortium, the Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control commissioned a study on the potential link between toxin exposure in nearby residents. It concluded that the power plant was not responsible for the impact on people’s health.

In 2019, the Environmental Integrity Project confirmed that the Indian River Power Plant was contaminating groundwater with unsafe levels of toxic pollutants found in coal ash including arsenic, lithium and mercury among others.

In 2023, the EPA acknowledged that coal ash is more dangerous than previously believed, due to levels of arsenic and radiation that pose cancer risks, while also noting widespread noncompliance with federal safeguards.

EarthJustice calculated in May 202, that the power plant contains nearly 1.5 million cubic yards of coal ash and toxic waste, which has contaminated the area’s groundwater.

More recently, the site adjacent to the Indian River plant has been targeted as a potential area for offshore wind cables to connect on-shore. This permit was rejected by Sussex County Council this month.

Molly McVety covers community and environmental issues around Delaware. Contact her at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.

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Delaware

Delaware history in News Journal May 31-June 6: royal visit, oil plea

Published

58 minutes ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

Delaware history in News Journal May 31-June 6: royal visit, oil plea

Excerpts from The News Journal archives from May 31 to June 6 include a visit from Swedish royalty in 1926.
Wilmington mayor invites oil executives to consider onshore support site for offshore drilling in 1976.
Dover NASCAR race track plans upgrades in 2006 after 134,000 attend latest event.

The Delaware history column features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and The Evening Journal. See the archives at delawareonline.com.

100 years ago, The Evening Journal, June 1, 1926

Cordial welcome given Swedish royalty

Thousands of Wilmingtonians yesterday afternoon greeted Crown Prince Gustavus Adolphus and his wife, Princess Louise Alexandra, of Sweden, who were guests of the city. …

The royal party arrived on a special train at French Street Station and were greeted by a reception committee headed by Mayor Forrest. …

The crowd waiting at the station for a glimpse of the couple was so great that it had to be held back by ropes and guards.

When the Princess alighted from the train she was presented with a bouquet by Mrs. Christopher L. Ward, a member of the reception committee. …

The royal visitors were escorted to waiting automobiles to begin their hasty trip to Old Swedes Church. …

During the trip, the Mayor pointed out the Old Town Hall, the public buildings which were decorated with the American flag and the flag of Sweden, and the William P. Bancroft School.

A crowd estimated at 3,000 persons greeted the city’s guests at the church. The royal couple entered by walking through the cemetery and a lane of Boy Scouts bearing American and Swedish flags. …

Near the entrance, the Prince and Princess were greeted by the Rev. Dr. Frederick M. Kirkus, rector of Trinity P.E. Church. …

Inside, they were met by Bishop Philip Cook of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. …

A silver plaque was presented to the Prince bearing an engraving of Old Swedes Church and an inscription commemorating the royal couple’s visit. The plaque’s frame is made of wood from the old church. …

Prince Gustavus offered thanks for the warm welcome.

“I am deeply moved by being here at this church and to stand in the place where the first Swedes in this country offered their worship,” he said. “This day I shall always remember and the memory will always be pleasant.”

Also from 100 years ago, The Evening Journal, June 1, 1926

Holiday automobile traffic heavy

An average of 12 cars a minute passed Station No. 2 of the State Police on the duPont Boulevard and the Glasgow-Elkton Road during a 12-hour check-up on Memorial Day yesterday.

In all, 9,101 cars passed the State Police station, according to Superintendent C.C. Reynolds of the State Police.

This was the heaviest traffic State Police have had to handle since last July 5, when 9,221 cars were counted in a 12-hour check-up….

Although there were several accidents, none were serious.

State Police kept the heavy volume of traffic moving fast. On the Philadelphia Pike, the officers speeded up traffic by having slow-moving vehicles pull to one side at times, allowing faster cars to move ahead.

50 years ago, The Morning News, June 3, 1976

Mayor’s overtures may bring oilmen to Delaware

Mayor Thomas C. Maloney will try to convince visiting oilmen today that Wilmington and its port should be the onshore headquarters for offshore oil and gas development.

Maloney has organized a two-day show-and-tell for the American Petroleum Institutes’ Atlantic Offshore Committee, a group touring the East Coast looking for potential onshore support sites.

Maloney’s invitation is one of the few direct Delaware overtures to the oil industry, which generally considers the state unfriendly. That attitude stems, in part, from Delaware’s Coastal Zone law banning refineries, superports and pipelines along the state’s shores.

Although the oil companies like Delaware because of the natural deepwater in the Delaware Bay and its proximity to where future drilling may occur, most oil industry representatives say there are enough other states actively soliciting onshore development. …

When the chairman of the committee heard of Maloney’s invitation, he wrote to other members, urging them to take a “hard look” at Wilmington.

Offshore oil drilling has been a controversy in Delaware for about five years. The Interior Department expects to hold a lease sale this summer for ocean bottom land 50 to 100 miles off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

20 years ago, The News Journal, June 5, 2006

Kenseth tames Dover’s ‘Monster Mile’ before planned changes

The scene was a familiar one after the NASCAR Nextel Cup series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday.

Sunburned fans filed down from the grandstands, coolers in tow, heading back to their cars. The driver crews hustled their machinery back to the haulers.

And Matt Kenseth, who won the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America, celebrated in victory lane. …

An estimated crowd of 134,000 fans included Rocky and Gloria Chase of Cape May, N.J., who got married in the infield before the race with the Kent County Clerk of the Peace performing the ceremony. …

But nothing will be the same at Dover now that the speedway is about to undergo a five-year improvement that track officials dubbed “The Monster Makeover.”

Changes will include more parking, an outdoor concert area, improved concession areas and more skyboxes. All of it is being done to appeal to a younger demographic while not alienating hard-core fans who have supported the sport for years.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.

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How Delaware fans will get to Philadelphia World Cup matches

Published

11 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

How Delaware fans will get to Philadelphia World Cup matches

When thousands of soccer fans descend on Philadelphia for the 2026 World Cup, the trip to the game will begin long before kickoff.

For most Delaware residents relying on public transportation, that journey starts on Amtrak or SEPTA platforms – navigating a transit system preparing for global‑scale crowds.

“Capacity is already sufficient for expected demand and we are prepared to scale operations if needed,” John Golden, a SEPTA senior press officer, told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “Travel demand is expected to be distributed, with many matches occurring during off‑peak commuting periods or weekends.”

More than 500,000 visitors are expected to come to Philadelphia for six FIFA World Cup matches at Lincoln Financial Field and the 39‑day FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park, according to Visit Philadelphia. The events run from June 11 to July 19, with matches in Philadelphia scheduled between June 14 and July 4 – coinciding with the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

DART said it plans to operate on normal schedules during the World Cup, meaning SEPTA will be the primary public transit option for most travelers heading from Delaware to Philadelphia for the games.

What to know about SEPTA

SEPTA isn’t planning on any baseline service increases on the Wilmington/Newark line or the Media/Wawa line, as both lines have sufficient existing capacity, Golden said. SEPTA will monitor ridership in real time and will be prepared to add additional resources if necessary.

Golden recommends travelers give themselves two hours of travel time.

There are no discount passes, but through a partnership with Airbnb there will be free rides home on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line [B] after all six FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia (from NRG Station only), Golden said.

Golden said SEPTA will “maintain a flexible, responsive operating posture to adjust service as needed.”

Additionally, he said they want want locals and visitors to know SEPTA transports about 800,000 riders safely every day throughout the Philadelphia region.

“Planning for FIFA and the other events scheduled for this summer began last year and we are working with other local agencies, including the City of Philadelphia, Amtrak, NJ Transit and others to ensure that everyone’s experience is a positive one, not just during FIFA and America 250 events, but throughout the summer and beyond,” he added. “We encourage riders to visit SEPTA.org, where they will find up-to-date information on schedules, fares, enhanced service, and more.”

Extra police patrols will be added to both the B Line trains and stations to get riders home safely and SEPTA encourages riders to utilize the SEPTA Transit Watch App, where they can report safety and security issues discreetly.

Getting around in Philly

Once you manage to get to Philadelphia, the city’s convention and visitors’ bureau offers some suggestions on how to navigate the City of Brotherly Love.

Take some comfortable shoes and walk in Philadelphia, which has consistently ranked as one of USA TODAY’s Most Walkable City to Visit in the country.

There’s biking. No worries if you didn’t bring yours, Philadelphia has the Indego program – an around-the-clock bike-share program that provides thousands of classic and electric-assist bicycles at more than 250 stations around the city. Riders must be 14 or older to ride classic bikes and older than 15 to ride the electric bikes. Costs vary by the type of bike and the amount of time needed to use them.

Don’t want to sweat? There’s SEPTA, which offers an expansive network of subways, buses and regional trains with one-way fares starting at just $2.90.

Uber and Lyft are the go-to ride share services in Philadelphia, but you want to make sure you have these mobile apps installed with your payment information stored.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

The best Delaware high schools for athletes? According to one study, these are top 25

Published

21 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

The best Delaware high schools for athletes? According to one study, these are top 25

Tucked away on the East Coast, one of the smallest states has had a sizeable impact on the national sports scene.

Elena Delle Donne, one of the GOATs of women’s basketball, dominated the hardwood as a high school athlete, breaking Delaware’s points record. Chris Godwin, who has been a Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl, was a top WR recruit and won two championships as a Delaware high schooler. Delino DeShields, a former MLB player, committed to LSU for both baseball and football.