Carper, Coons, Blunt Rochester Announce $1 Million for Kent County Rooftop Solar Installation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) today announced that Delmarva Corrugated Packaging, Inc. will receive $1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to support a project to install a two megawatt rooftop solar installation. Delmarva Corrugated Packaging, Inc. will use this funding in combination with previously announced federal, state and local awards. The REAP Program received funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, which Carper, Coons and Blunt Rochester all supported.

"Investments in cleaner power sources are good for business and good for our planet," said Senator Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "This project is a great example of what we can achieve when the federal government works together with state and county governments to support climate-smart investments and jobs. Thanks to this partnership, some 3,700 rooftop solar panels will power a growing Kent County business."

"Small businesses are thriving in Delaware, and this federal investment will help even more ventures in our rural communities create jobs and secure success," said Senator Coons, a member of the Small Business Committee. "This grant will provide momentum for Delmarva Corrugated Packaging to expand their efforts while transitioning to more environmentally friendly solutions. I commend the Biden administration for its commitment to supporting small businesses and the communities that they serve through innovation and technology, reducing emissions by promoting greater energy efficiency."

"Investing in renewable energy lowers costs, bolsters resilience, and makes businesses more sustainable," said Rep. Blunt Rochester, member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "In June, I was proud to join Senators Carper and Coons and local leaders to cut the ribbon on Delmarva Corrugated Packaging's new Dover facility which plays a key role in our regional supply chain systems. As a champion of bipartisan supply chain resiliency efforts in Congress, this federal investment - made possible in part by the historic Inflation Reduction Act - will allow Delmarva Corrugated Packaging to become more energy-efficient all while keeping our regional supply chain moving."

"Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Rural Energy for America Program enables rural small businesses like Delmarva Corrugated Packaging to expand their use of solar energy and make energy efficiency improvements. These innovations help them increase their income, grow their businesses, and address climate change while lowering energy costs for American families," said Andrew Dinsmore, USDA Rural Development State Director for Delaware-Maryland.

"As part of our commitment to social responsibility, Delmarva Corrugated Packaging has contracted with a local Delaware company to install a photovoltaic system that will reduce our power grid electricity consumption by 37 percent. That's a big reduction in carbon emissions, and a big win for our planet," said Dennis Mehiel, Chairman of Delmarva Corrugated Packaging, Inc. "We are thrilled to receive this REAP grant from USDA to advance this important project that will benefit our community and State, and also thank our other partners - Delaware Prosperity Partnership, Kent County and City of Dover - for helping us make this possible."