Budget Growth Exposes Delaware's Real Priorities By Charlie Copeland, Director  Center for Analysis of Delaware's Economy & Government Spending July 22, 2022     Over the last twenty years, the Consumer Price Index has risen *62.3%. In addition, Delaware's population has grown **26.3%, from 783,600 people to 989,948. These two growth rates added together suggest an appropriate target for state spending growth over this period.   In short, any spending increases above 88.6% (baseline- see graphs) represent a real increase in spending. Any spending below 88.6% represents a real ...[read more]

Delaware's Mix of Businesses has Changed - Regulations Need to Change By Charlie Copeland, Director  Center for Analysis of Delaware's Economy & Government Spending July 8, 2022     In the late 1990s, Delaware's economy was known for the "four C's" - Chemicals, Chickens, Cars, and Credit Cards, and big business thrived. By 2000, Delaware had 113 business entities across the state that each employed more than 500 people, mainly in those four industries, but then Delaware changed. The following decade wreaked havoc on three of the C's - Chemicals...[read more]

No Emission Reduction Gained from Increasing Wind & Solar By David T. Stevenson, Director Center for Energy & Environmental Policy June 20, 2022     I continued my ongoing analysis of electric generation in the PJM regional grid where Delaware is a participant. I wanted to share the results of how much wind and solar power was generated in the region from 2019 to 2021.   From 2019 to 2021, wind and solar power generation increased by 30% but had no impact on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). PJM is the largest regional grid in the country, serving 65 million people in th...[read more]

Why both 'Choice' and Charter Schools Really Matter in Delaware By Dr. Tanya Hettler, Ph.D., Director  Center for Educational Excellence May 27, 2022      Delaware is known throughout the country for its particular brand of school choice. In Delaware, "choice" means that even if a particular public school is your "feeder" school (that is, the one that your child is assigned to go to based on where you live), you can "choice" them into another public school, charter school, or vo-tech school (either in your district or in another one). The education dollars for your child are then deducted from...[read more]