DEC is Committed to Reliability

Careful planning and innovation over the past decade have allowed the Co-op to set new records for reliability — reducing the number of outages our members experience by 50%. Our work to improve system reliability is far from over. In 2026, our team of engineers and lineworkers will be launching several projects that will keep reliable power flowing to your homes. 

To strengthen our system and accommodate the Co-op’s continued load growth in eastern Sussex County, DEC will begin construction on a new substation along Reynolds Road near Milton. The project will reduce the frequency and duration of outages in that area by expanding DEC’s ability to backfeed power to homes in the dark. Using an artificial intelligence (AI) model, the Co-op can now identify areas of our electric system where updates to equipment or maintenance could improve reliability. Using data gathered from routine drone and ground inspections as well as outage data, DEC can pinpoint areas where power lines or equipment may require repairs or replacement, enabling us to be proactive in performing system maintenance. 

In addition to these new projects, the Co-op will continue to perform regular equipment inspections, aggressive tree trimming around power lines and invest in advanced technologies that prevent power outages.