Delaware General Assembly


CHAPTER 556

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18

DIRECTING THE DELMARVA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY AND THE CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES CORPORATION TO FORMULATE A COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY DISTRIBUTION PLAN, THE OBJECTIVE OF WHICH IS TO MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF EMPLOYMENT POSSIBLE IN EVERY TYPE OF ENERGY CRISIS OR EMERGENCY.

WHEREAS, during the winter of 1977 the State of Delaware, in addition to other States in the Northeastern section of the United States, was deprived of natural gas when expected deliveries were curtailed or diverted; and

WHEREAS, because of this unexpected energy crisis Delmarva power & Light Company informed a number of its industrial customers that gas normally supplied to them would be restricted or shut off entirely; and

WHEREAS, because some commercial and industrial customers were taken by surprise and had no alternative or back-up source of energy, they were compelled to suspend operations, laying off many Delaware wage earners; and

WHEREAS, the spring and summer of 1977 is an ideal time to utilize in attempting to provide advance planning for the winter of 1977 - 1978 and for formulating a comprehensive plan which would reduce or eliminate unemployment resulting from an energy crisis.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 129th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, with the approval of the Governor as attested by his signature affixed hereto, that the Delmarva Power & Light Company and the Chesapeake Utilities Corporation are hereby directed to promulgate a comprehensive plan which has, as its primary objective, the reduction or elimination of unemployment, to the extent such is possible, resulting from an energy crisis or emergency.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a preliminary progress report on the formulation of such a plan shall be made, copies of which shall be delivered to each member of the Senate and House of Representatives on or before August 1, 1977, by Delmarva Power & Light Company and Chesapeake Utilities Corporation.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the comprehensive plan shall make recommendations regarding the allocation of each energy resource and what, for purposes of such allocation, the highest priorities should be.

Approved June 7, 1977.