Delaware energy profile

Manufacturing energy costs in Delaware

As of Apr 2026, industrial electricity in Delaware runs 9.74 cents per kWh. That is 12.5% more expensive than the U.S. average and places the state 34 of 51 nationally.

Current prices in Delaware

  • Industrial electricity: 9.74 cents per kWh (Apr 2026, EIA).
  • Commercial electricity, the rate a warehouse or distribution center in Delaware typically pays: 13.31 cents per kWh.
  • Industrial natural gas: 16.04 per Mcf (Apr 2026), 227.3% above the national average.
  • Just below Delaware on the price ladder: South Dakota at 9.15, Florida at 9.23, Colorado at 9.4 cents. Just above: Illinois at 9.74, Pennsylvania at 9.82, Minnesota at 9.86 cents.

What the rate does to operating cost

  • A 10 kW machine running a 4,000 hour year costs about 3,896 in electricity at Delaware rates versus 3,464 at the national average; at 50 kW the gap is 19,480 versus 17,320, and at 200 kW it is 77,920 versus 69,280.
  • Delaware sits mid-pack for power cost, so energy is neither a site-selection advantage nor a penalty. Estimates built on national averages will land close here, though demand charges and rate schedules still swing the real bill.

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 May 2026 (BLS).

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 2026-05-12.