Senator Stephanie Hansen has served the legislative body for many years as the preeminent expert on energy policy. As chair of the Environment, Energy, and Transportation committee, she worked with her colleagues to find solutions that make Delaware energy more affordable and sustainable.
In the winter of 2025, Delawareans saw major increases in their energy bills, leading to public outcry and consumers struggling to pay their bills. As a response, Sen. Hansen released a package of bills (Senate Bills 59, 60, and 61) that sought to hold public utility companies accountable to their consumers.
Senate Bill 59, otherwise known as the “prudence bill,” would change the standards by which the Public Service Commission (PSC) is able to determine which costs can be included in a utility’s rate base. Delaware is only one of two states in that country that don’t use a “prudence” standard – instead we use a “business judgement rule,” which presumes in favor of the utility in rate cases. By switching to the prudence standard, we raise the utility’s duty of care in cases of economic risks to ratepayers.