In short: Most homes in Wilmington and New Castle County are on Delmarva Power, which averaged 17.23¢ per kWh in 2024 and about 2 hours of outages per customer. Newark and Middletown run their own city utilities. FEMA rates the county’s winter weather risk “Very High”, and the county does not require a building permit for rooftop solar on a house.
This page covers Wilmington, Newark, Middletown and the rest of New Castle County. Statewide rules (net metering without a cap, the Green Energy Program rebates, contractor licensing) are on our Delaware energy guide; here we stick to what is local.
Wilmington–New Castle County at a glance
- Delmarva Power (most of the county, Wilmington included): 17.23¢/kWh average for homes on Delmarva supply in 2024; outages 127 minutes per customer with major events, 68 without; about 0.8 interruptions a year (EIA-861).
- City of Newark electric: 18.99¢/kWh; 84 outage minutes per customer in 2024.
- Town of Middletown electric: 17.12¢/kWh (outage minutes not reported to EIA). The New Castle Municipal Services Commission also runs a small town utility.
- Sun: about 4.07 kWh per square meter per day at Wilmington (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,190 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index): New Castle County’s overall risk is “Relatively High”. Winter weather is “Very High”; cold waves, ice storms, strong wind, river flooding and coastal flooding are “Relatively High”.
- Public charging: 106 ports at 36 locations in Wilmington, 118 ports at 34 locations in Newark and 28 in Middletown (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Prices are 2024 EIA-861 averages including delivery and fixed charges. Delaware’s statewide price has risen since, to 18.48¢ in July 2026, so check your latest bill.
Your utility and what it means
- Delmarva Power: you can shop for supply. Delmarva customers are the only Delawareans who can buy their electricity supply from a third-party supplier; Delmarva still delivers the power and sends the bill. The Public Service Commission says supply makes up about 65% of a typical Delmarva bill over a year, and it keeps a list of certified suppliers and questions to ask before you switch (PSC electric choice). About 9% of Delmarva’s Delaware homes had switched in 2024 (EIA).
- Delmarva EV rate: the Plug-In Vehicle (PIV) rate bills your car’s charging on its own meter at a time-of-use supply price. Off-peak is 8 p.m. to noon on weekdays and all weekend; peak is noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays. You need a second meter (Delmarva lists about $225) and a separate 200-amp meter socket, which customers report costs $500 to $1,000 for an electrician. You must stay on Delmarva’s standard supply, and Delmarva says this rate is its only approved EV incentive in Delaware (Delmarva PIV rate).
- City of Newark: Newark customers can apply for the Municipal Green Energy Grant Program run by DEMEC, the municipal power group, which lists Newark application forms for solar, geothermal, solar water heating and small wind, plus Newark’s interconnection application. Funds are limited; check with DEMEC before you sign (DEMEC grants). Newark’s own website did not load when we checked.
- Town of Middletown: solar starts with the utility, not the building office. You submit Part I of the town’s interconnection application, wait for the Power Director’s approval, then apply for the solar building permit; after installation and inspection, Part II gives permission to operate (Middletown solar steps).
Backup power in Wilmington and New Castle County
Everyday outages are short here: about an hour a year on Delmarva’s lines without major events, two hours with them. The bigger risk is winter. FEMA puts New Castle County’s winter weather risk in its top band, with ice storms and cold waves close behind, and river and coastal flooding are “Relatively High” too. An ice storm can take lines down for longer than the averages suggest.
- Apartments and city rowhouses: a portable power station covers phones, internet, lights and a CPAP through a typical outage.
- Houses with a sump pump, a well or medical equipment: a home battery switches over silently; a standby generator on natural gas or propane runs for days through an ice storm.
- Safety: portable generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors, windows and vents, never in a garage (CPSC); carbon monoxide alarms on every level; a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician.
Size it with the battery backup calculator or the generator sizing calculator, and read our backup power guide and generator installation page.
Solar in Wilmington and New Castle County
A rough estimate: a 7 kW system at about 1,190 kWh per kW makes roughly 8,320 kWh a year. At Delmarva’s 2024 average of 17.23¢ that is worth about $1,430 a year; in Newark, at 18.99¢, about $1,580; in Middletown about $1,420. Delaware’s full retail net metering, explained on our state page, means exported power earns the same credit. EIA counted 9,759 net-metered home solar systems on Delmarva’s Delaware lines at the end of 2024.
County rules matter for where panels go. Under New Castle County’s solar ordinance, home systems must be “accessory” (making less than 110% of the power used on site), ground-mounted arrays need a 6-foot setback from rear and side property lines, and roof arrays can rise no more than 5 feet above the roof. Try the solar potential calculator, then read solar panel cost and solar installation.
Batteries
With retail net metering, a battery here earns little on the bill; its job is backup through winter storms. Pair it with solar if you want the panels to keep working in an outage (ordinary grid-tied solar shuts off when the grid does). Your utility must approve the interconnection of a battery as well as of panels. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging
A labelled estimate at 30 kWh per 100 miles: about $5.17 per 100 miles at Delmarva’s 2024 average (roughly $620 a year for 12,000 miles) and $5.70 in Newark. Delmarva’s PIV rate can cut the supply part of the cost if you charge overnight or on weekends, but the second meter and socket cost money up front, so it pays best for high-mileage drivers. Public charging is dense: Wilmington and Newark together have more than 220 ports.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Wilmington: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
New Castle County lists EV charging stations among work exempt from a county building permit, but the circuit is still electrical work for a licensed electrician with an inspection. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Permits and inspections
- Unincorporated New Castle County: the Department of Land Use (87 Reads Way, New Castle; 302-395-5400) handles building permits. Its 2026 list of work exempt from permits includes rooftop solar panels on one- and two-family homes and EV charging stations; the work must still meet building and zoning codes, and historic districts need review (exempt work list).
- Electrical work: the county does not permit or inspect electrical work; Delaware-licensed electricians have it inspected by a licensed inspection agency (county permit guide). Owner-occupants of a single-family home can get a state homeowner electrical permit after an inspection agency stamps their plan (state homeowner permit).
- City of Wilmington: the Department of Land Use and Planning, 800 N. French St., 3rd floor ((302) 576-3050, luppermits@wilmingtonde.gov), reviews small projects in about a week, with an online portal to check permits and inspections; design review applies in some districts (Wilmington permits).
- Newark and Middletown: ask the city or town for its building permit, and get the utility’s interconnection approval first in Middletown.
- Who does the work: a licensed electrician (lookup on our state page), a licensed gas fitter for generator fuel lines, and HOA approval where your community has one.
Cities we cover
- Wilmington
- Newark
- Middletown
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Wilmington and New Castle County energy FAQ
Do I need a permit for rooftop solar in New Castle County?
Not a county building permit for panels on a one- or two-family home, under the county’s 2026 exempt-work list. The wiring still needs a licensed electrician and an inspection agency, Delmarva or your town utility must approve the interconnection, and Wilmington, Newark and Middletown run their own permit offices.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Wilmington?
Yes, if you are a Delmarva Power customer, as most of Wilmington is. Choice in Delaware covers Delmarva customers only, so Newark and Middletown city customers cannot switch. Compare offers with the PSC’s supplier list and check Delmarva’s own supply price first.
Is Delmarva’s EV rate worth it?
It depends on mileage. The PIV rate lowers the supply price for charging from 8 p.m. to noon on weekdays and all weekend, but you pay for a second meter (about $225) and a meter socket (customers report $500 to $1,000). You also cannot use a third-party supplier while on it.
Which outages should I plan for here?
Winter ones. Delmarva’s average outage time is short, about two hours a year including storms, but FEMA rates New Castle County’s winter weather risk “Very High” and ice storms “Relatively High”. Homes with sump pumps or medical needs should plan for a day or more without power.
Sources
Utility areas, prices, supply shopping, outages and home solar counts: EIA-861, 2024 data. Delmarva Power Delaware Plug-In Vehicle rate page. Supplier choice: Delaware Public Service Commission. Municipal grants: DEMEC. Middletown solar steps: Town of Middletown. Permits: New Castle County Department of Land Use (exempt work list rev. January 2026, solar ordinance summary), City of Wilmington Land Use and Planning, Delaware Division of Professional Regulation. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Charging ports: AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC. Checked October 3, 2026.