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PSC grants one-year extension for Westminster Solar project amid Carroll County permitting delays
Summary
The Public Service Commission granted Westminster Solar LLC a one-year extension, moving the operational deadline to Jan. 18, 2027 under a limited waiver of COMAR 20.62.03.04(c), after staff cited multiagency county permitting delays that staff and the developer said impeded construction.
The Public Service Commission on Oct. 8 granted Westminster Solar LLC a one-year extension of the operational deadline for a 1.5 megawatt community solar project in Carroll County, moving the deadline to Jan. 18, 2027.
Michael Dean of commission staff told the commissioners that the project has experienced delays in the county permitting process and that COMAR 20.62.03.04(c) permits the commission to waive regulations for good cause. "Staff recommends that the commission grant the requested limited waiver of COMAR 20.62.03.04(c) and extend the operational deadline for the Westminster Solar project to 01/18/2027," Dean said.
Max Cook, representing Westminster Solar, said the project team had reviewed staff's filing and was prepared to answer questions. Nick Leffner, the civil engineer of record, described multiple and sometimes conflicting review comments from county departments and agencies — including a late request to dedicate right-of-way to the State Highway Administration — that extended the schedule. Leffner said the project is in a zoning district that permits solar and did not require a special exception, but that iterative reviews and new requirements in final review added time.
Commissioners pressed whether there were any outstanding utility interconnection issues; Cook said there were none and that delays were exclusively related to county permitting. The chair described a recurring concern that some local permitting processes can act like an obstacle course and stall projects during sequential reviews.
The chair moved to grant the waiver and extension; Commissioners McLean, Linton and Suchman voted aye.
The commission recorded the action as a limited waiver of COMAR 20.62.03.04(c). Staff noted the project is eligible for the federal investment tax credit under the safe-harbor method, and the filing forecasts that final permits and construction should be complete by December 2026 with the additional year allowed.
