Gov. Matt Meyer vetoed a bill that would regulate third party energy suppliers in Delaware, on September 30, the last day he was able to make the move.
The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Debra Heffernan (D-Bellefonte), who is not running again for her long-held seat.
It would have required third party energy suppliers to report data to the Public Service Commission on energy distributed to its customers, what it charges customers, and a comparison of its cost to the area's standard supplier.
Heffernan said the legislation was born from concerns she and other lawmakers heard, "directly from our constituents that they were taken advantage of by these unscrupulous and unregulated third-party energy suppliers."
Meyer's veto order said the legislation puts Delawareans' consumer protections and consumer choice at odds. Maryland passed similar regulations in 2024, and his statement claims and that dried up third party energy suppliers there.
"We can crack down on deceptive and predatory energy sales without strengthening Delmarva's monopoly by driving competitors out of the market," Meyer said in his veto.
Heffernan said she worked with the administration on the bill, so the veto comes as a surprise. And the bill doesn't bar third party regulators in Delaware.
"Is it that (third party regulators) are going to leave because they can't rip people off anymore?" she said. "...Then I say good riddance."
Heffernan says she doesn’t think her legislation benefits a Delmarva monopoly, since Delmarva makes a profit off operation of Delaware's grid, "no matter what for their lines and their equipment are what carries the electricity to anybody's home, even if they have a third-party supplier or not."
The bill also would have mandated suppliers cannot renew a contract unless customers agree in writing or electronically.
In July, Heffernan voiced opposition to news outlets, including Delaware Public Media, when issued a line-item veto on the FY 2027 Bond bill.
She expressed concern then that her opposition could result on "retaliatory" action from the governor toward legislation she passed in the most recent session.
"I understand I'm taking a risk by speaking out..." she said in July. "But I believe it's important."
When asked September 30 if she thought the veto of her bill fit this circumstance, she said "I have no idea... I have no idea if what the situation is."
She added she is unsure whether the the issue will be brought forward by another lawmaker in the upcoming legislative session.
