Maryland PSC Opens Public Comment Period for Kent County Solar Project
Per an EIN Presswire notice dated August 18, 2026, the Maryland Public Service Commission has opened a public comment period on a 5.0 megawatt solar photovoltaic generating facility proposed by MD American Kestrel, LLC in Kent County.
The filing, designated Case No. 9823, proceeds under the Commission's statutory authority to issue a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for new energy generating stations. The procedural posture establishes a template applicable to any comparable utility-scale filing that may reach Somerset County or other Eastern Shore jurisdictions.
CPCN Application Particulars
The applicant filed its CPCN petition in October 2025. The proposed ground-mounted array occupies 39.43 acres of an approximately 104.94-acre parcel at 23548 Chestertown Road, Chestertown. Generation output is allocated to community solar subscribers within the Delmarva Power & Light service territory. The site is governed by Kent County zoning and the Commission's statewide siting standards for energy generating facilities.
Hearing Procedure and Comment Channels
A public evidentiary hearing convenes Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the Comfort Inn & Suites Chestertown, 150 Scheeler Road. Public Utility Law Judge Jennifer Grace presides; the Commission has delegated the matter to its Public Utility Law Judge Division. The hearing record includes applicant presentation, statements from the Power Plant Research Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Commission's Technical Staff describing respective roles and recommendations.
Virtual attendance is available through the Commission's online portal; registration must be completed by September 4, 2026. Written comments referencing Case No. 9823 are accepted through October 15, 2026, via the online portal or by mail to Jamie Bergin, Chief Clerk, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. A review copy of the application is available at the Kent County Department of Planning, Housing, and Zoning, 400 High Street, Chestertown.
Tracking Implications for Somerset County
Although the project sits in adjacent Kent County, the CPCN framework operates uniformly across Maryland. Somerset County residents monitoring utility-scale solar permitting should treat this docket as a procedural reference point: evidentiary structure, intervention window, and comment deadlines mirror the process any future Somerset County filing would follow. Setback requirements, easement delineations, and statutory compliance findings recorded in Case No. 9823 will inform comparable Eastern Shore dockets. The published case docket remains the primary record for adjacent-county activity.