Dexter Bland
IndependentQ2 Delaware’s electricity is delivered through PJM interconnection, the regional grid operator for the mid-atlantic. Across the PJM region, electricity demand is rising in part due to large-scale data center development. What evidence-based policies, if any, would you support addressing the effects of AI-driven data center growth on electricity costs and grid reliability for Delaware’s residents?
Delaware should welcome innovation and economic development, but growth should not come at the expense of household electric bills or grid reliability. PJM projects significant electricity-demand growth over the next decade, with large data centers contributing to that increase. I support requiring major new energy users to pay the costs associated with connecting to and upgrading the grid rather than shifting those expenses onto residential ratepayers.
I would also support independent reliability and rate-impact reviews before very large loads are approved, stronger transparency in utility load forecasts, and financial commitments from developers when additional transmission or generation is required. Delaware should simultaneously invest in grid modernization, energy storage, distributed generation, and other technologies that can improve resilience and reduce long-term costs
Q3 Federal agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project that Delaware’s coastal communities face increasing risk of tidal flooding in the coming decades. What evidence-based policies, if any, would you support to help these communities respond to increased coastal flooding risk?
Delaware should prepare for increased flooding before families and taxpayers are forced to pay repeatedly for preventable damage. I support using current flood modeling and future sea-level and rainfall projections when Delaware plans roads, bridges, schools, wastewater systems, and other long-term public infrastructure.
We should modernize aging stormwater and drainage systems, particularly in communities experiencing repeated urban flooding, while protecting natural defenses such as wetlands, dunes, and shorelines. I also support targeted assistance that helps homeowners and communities invest in practical flood-mitigation measures before disaster occurs.
Our policies should recognize that resilience is not only a coastal issue. Increased rainfall and inadequate drainage can threaten neighborhoods throughout Delaware, including urban communities.
My approach is prevention, preparation, and responsible investment. If scientific evidence tells us where risks are increasing, government should use that information to protect residents, infrastructure, and taxpayer dollars rather than waiting until after homes, roads, and communities are damaged.
Q9 Delaware funds youth substance-use prevention programs through the Division of Public Health and the state budget. According to the 2024 Delaware School Survey, 26% of Delaware 11th graders perceive great risk in regular marijuana use, down from 50% in 1999. What evidence-based policies, if any, would you support to address substance use among young people in Delaware and ensure drug usage decline?
I believe Delaware should address youth substance use through prevention, education, early intervention, and treatment—not simply punishment. The decline in the number of young people who perceive regular marijuana use as risky tells us we need honest, age-appropriate education about marijuana, vaping, opioids, alcohol, and prescription-drug misuse before unhealthy patterns begin.
I support evidence-based prevention programs in schools and communities, greater access to behavioral health and substance-use counseling, and training for parents, educators, and mentors to recognize warning signs and connect young people with help early. Delaware should continue using the Delaware School Survey and other public-health data to measure which programs actually reduce youth substance use and direct funding toward approaches producing results.
Prevention also means investing in young people themselves. Mentoring, recreation, arts, workforce development, and meaningful after-school opportunities can strengthen the protective factors that keep young people connected and engaged.
Adult legalization should never mean normalization of drug use among children. Our responsibility is to educate young people honestly, intervene early, and give them healthy opportunities to thrive.