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Neighbors urge council to press for transparency as state solar rules shift local authority
Summary
Residents told the Wicomico County Council they were blindsided by an application for a 5 MW solar facility on Union Church Road and urged greater county transparency and code alignment with state law (SB 931), arguing local setback and notice practices must change.
Several residents addressed the council during public comment to oppose Wicomico Rain Solar LLC’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) application for a 5-megawatt, roughly 37-acre facility at 4013 Union Church Road (Maryland PSC case 9795). Nathaniel Morton, who lives on Union Church Road, said the project would place nearly 11,000 panels within less than 200 feet of homes and criticized the state’s public-notice process for CPCNs under Senate Bill 931.
Morton asked the county to seek an in-person PSC hearing in March 2026 and urged amendments to county code to align definitions (small/medium/large arrays) and to codify a 100-foot setback he said the law requires. He also urged clearer addressing practices and a CPCN watch mechanism for county review.
Other speakers echoed concerns about proximity to homes, inconsistent addresses in filings and lost local zoning authority for arrays above 2 MW under the new state law. County council members acknowledged frustration but said local action is limited where state CPCN authority applies; members urged residents to contact state delegates and said a regional group is working to refine the state law’s implementation.
