Delaware energy profile

Manufacturing energy costs in Delaware

As of Jul 2026, industrial electricity in Delaware runs 11.71 cents per kWh. That is 19.9% more expensive than the U.S. average and places the state 38 of 51 nationally.

Current prices in Delaware

  • Industrial electricity: 11.71 cents per kWh (Jul 2026, EIA).
  • Commercial electricity, the rate a warehouse or distribution center in Delaware typically pays: 13.8 cents per kWh.
  • Industrial natural gas: 28.04 per Mcf (Jul 2026), 512.2% above the national average.
  • Just below Delaware on the price ladder: New York at 10.81, Ohio at 10.95, Pennsylvania at 11.04 cents. Just above: Illinois at 11.87, Vermont at 13.07, Maine at 13.94 cents.

What the rate does to operating cost

  • A 10 kW machine running a 4,000 hour year costs about 4,684 in electricity at Delaware rates versus 3,908 at the national average; at 50 kW the gap is 23,420 versus 19,540, and at 200 kW it is 93,680 versus 78,160.
  • At this rate, efficiency projects clear their hurdle faster in Delaware than almost anywhere: every avoided kWh is worth more, so compressed air leak repairs, VFD retrofits, and scheduling around demand charges deserve a fresh look.

What factory labor pays in Delaware

  • Industrial production managers: $73.56/hr median in Delaware versus $60.61 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial engineers: $57.79/hr median in Delaware versus $49.25 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Production supervisors: $38.03/hr median in Delaware versus $35.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial machinery mechanics: $32.37/hr median in Delaware versus $31.02 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Machinists: $30.12/hr median in Delaware versus $28.24 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Forklift and industrial truck operators: $29.02/hr median in Delaware versus $22.32 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Delaware employs about 26,000 manufacturing workers as of Aug 2026 (BLS).

Manufacturing base in Delaware

  • Delaware has 660 manufacturing establishments employing about 31,080 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).
  • Largest sectors by establishment count: fabricated metal products (102), food manufacturing (81), chemical manufacturing (76), computer and electronic products (48), printing and related support (48).

Sources and update cadence

  • Prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and refresh automatically when the agency publishes; this page also archives each month's Delaware observation so the local price history deepens over time.

Last reviewed 2026-09-30.