Public Review Opens for Proposed 18 MW Solar Facility in Berlin

9826, establishing the procedural framework for public review of an 18.0 MW solar generating facility proposed for the Town of Berlin. Joint applicants Soltage MD DevCo, LLC and Berlin Living, LLC filed for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity in October 2025, and the Commission has scheduled a public hearing for August 27, 2026. Although Berlin sits in Worcester County, the CPCN record documents the statutory path for utility-scale solar approval in a jurisdiction adjacent to Somerset County, providing a measurable baseline for Eastern Shore stakeholders tracking comparable applications.

Filing and Site Parameters

The Commission has delegated Case No. 9826 to the Public Utility Law Judge Division, with Public Utility Law Judge Christine Burke presiding. The applicants filed for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity in October 2025, the mechanism by which the State grants authority to construct an energy generating station in Maryland. The project is proposed for 113 acres of an approximately 157-acre parcel located on Main Street (MD Route 818), northwest of the intersection of MD Route 50 and MD Route 113. Generation from the facility will be allocated to community solar subscribers, including low- and moderate-income households, within Delmarva Power and Light's service territory.

Scheduled dates on record:

• Public hearing: August 27, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
• Virtual registration deadline: August 25, 2026
• Written comment deadline: August 28, 2026

Public Participation Procedure

The hearing will take place at the Worcester County Library, Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Avenue, Berlin, Maryland. A virtual attendance option is available through the Commission's website; registrants will receive a Zoom link after sign-up.

Participation channels specified in the docket:

• Written comments via the Commission's online portal through August 28, 2026
• Written comments by mail to Jamie Bergin, Chief Clerk, Maryland PSC, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202
• Brief statements at the hearing by the Power Plant Research Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Commission's Technical Staff
• Public review of the application file at the Town of Berlin Planning and Zoning Department, 1 West Market Street, #1201, Snow Hill, MD 21863

Tracking Points for the Region

For Somerset County observers, the Berlin docket establishes the statutory pathway and documentary requirements for any comparable CPCN application affecting Eastern Shore parcels. The 18.0 MW capacity on 113 acres of a 157-acre parent tract, subscriber allocation to Delmarva Power and Light territory, and direct review under the PULJ Division constitute documented baseline metrics for evaluating future siting proposals. Any subsequent CPCN filings on Somerset County parcels would proceed through the same division and procedural schedule. The application file remains available for public review at the Town of Berlin Planning and Zoning Department, 1 West Market Street, #1201, Snow Hill, MD 21863.