BETTERTON — A proposed 5-megawatt solar project in Betterton will be the subject of a Public Service Commission hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 20 at the Betterton firehouse.
Area residents and others interested in the project are invited to comment.
The Maryland Public Service Commission has delegated this case to its Public Utility Law Judge Division; Public Utility Law Judge Christine Burke will preside over the hearing.
In April 2025, the developer — Halo Betterton LLC — applied to the PSC for what is known as a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which grants an applicant the authority to construct an energy-generating station in Maryland.
According to the application, the developer proposes to build the project on a 30-acre property located at Howell Point Road and Still Pond-Betterton Road, and identified as Tax Map 100, Grid 20, Parcel 1488.
The site essentially wraps around the Betterton firehouse.
According to online records of the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, Halo Betterton Property LLC [mailing address of Birmingham, Michigan] purchased the property in November 2024 for $500,000.
The project will generate energy to be allocated to community solar subscribers within Delmarva Power and Light Company’s service territory.
In addition to taking comments from the public, the hearing will include a presentation by the applicant, brief statements by the parties, including the Power Plant Research Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the PSC’s technical staff as to their respective roles and recommendations in the case.
Barring any technical difficulties, the hearing will be livestreamed for viewing and a recording will be available on the PULJ Division’s [MD PSC PULJs] YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/@mdpscpuljs327.
In addition to the hearing, written comments can be sent electronically through the Public Service Commission’s online portal at https://psc.maryland.gov/online-services/file-a-public-comment/,or by mail.
Comments sent by mail should be addressed to: Jamie Bergin, Chief Clerk, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul St., 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202.
So that they are noted in the proper case file, all comments should reference Case No. 9786. The deadline is July 22.
In addition to the online case docket, a copy of the application is available for public view at the Betterton town office, 100 Main St.
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The Maryland Public Service Commission regulates electric and gas utilities and suppliers; telephone companies [land lines]; private water and sewer companies; passenger motor vehicle carriers for hire; taxicab companies in some jurisdictions; and bay pilot rates.
The PSC implements the energy policy of the state and also regulates the siting of energy-generating facilities and high-voltage transmission lines.