The four community solar projects, developed by ECA Power and located in Sussex and New Castle Counties, have been accepted into the JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator established through Executive Order 18. Together, the projects represent more than 16 megawatts of new local solar generation capacity and more than $73 million in private-sector investment.
The projects include:
• Lonesome Road Community Energy Initiative in Seaford
• Woodpecker Road Community Energy Initiative in Seaford
• Townsend Community Energy Initiative in Townsend
• Clayton Community Energy Initiative Phase I and II in Clayton
Each project is structured as community solar, allowing Delaware residents and businesses to subscribe and receive savings on their electric bills without installing rooftop solar panels.
“No one should open their energy bill each month and be forced to decide if they are going to eat dinner, go to the doctor, or power their home,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “That’s why we are excited to announce four projects that will help thousands of Delaware families save on power bills. These community solar projects are helping to lower costs, create jobs, strengthen our grid, and give Delawareans more control over their energy future.”
The JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator is designed to reduce permitting timelines for key projects in energy, housing, water, broadband, and more. The program seeks to complete complex permitting reviews faster while maintaining Delaware’s environmental and public safety standards.
Current timelines for permitting these projects exceed 48 months in many cases due to local and state permitting requirements. Governor Meyer noted that the four ECA Power projects will help bring new generating capacity online more quickly while ensuring Delaware families benefit directly through lower energy costs.
Governor Meyer emphasized that the Administration’s energy strategy is focused on lowering costs for consumers while ensuring that future energy demand does not result in higher bills for Delaware families. This announcement is just the start, so stay tuned as there will be more to come this summer.
The Governor reiterated that new large energy users, including data centers, must finance their own energy and infrastructure needs rather than shifting costs onto Delaware ratepayers.
