Sen. Hanson presses bill to speed community-solar interconnections; PSC says amendment complements ongoing rulemaking

State Sen. Stephanie Hanson, chair of the Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee, opened a March 25, 2026 hybrid meeting to discuss House Bill 269 with House Amendment 1, describing it as an effort to speed the interconnection of community solar projects into Delmarva Power’s grid.

Hanson said recent reviews and industry commentary show Delaware’s interconnection standards lag behind other states, noting a trade publication had rated the state “among the worst in the country.” She framed HB 269 as a way to align Delaware’s process with nationally recognized model rules from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and to set firm timelines for application processing.

The bill, as amended, would require Delmarva Power to adopt IREC-based interconnection procedures within 12 months of the model’s latest publishing date and would require the utility regulatory authority to affirmatively approve any deviations. Hanson said the amendment also contemplates that Delmarva may recover prudently incurred implementation and administrative costs needed to meet the new timelines.

“The process for connecting community solar projects into Delmarva Power’s electric grid is slow. Very slow,” Hanson said, arguing streamlined, transparent timelines would reduce multi‑year delays and clear backlog applications.

Dexter Hendricks, senior manager of interconnection policy at the Community Solar Association (CCSA), testified in support of the bill’s intent but urged caution on implementation. “We strongly support the intent of the legislation,” Hendricks said, “but the IREC model is not plug and play.” He warned that the model requires state‑specific tailoring and that meaningful implementation typically requires a deliberative stakeholder process that, in other states, can take a year or more.

Hendricks also told the committee that the amendment’s 12‑month clock could be infeasible depending on when a new IREC version is published and that the IREC model lacks robust enforcement mechanisms. He urged the committee to tie implementation to the next IREC update and to ensure consistency with Executive Order 18, which directs agencies to prioritize clearing interconnection queues and reduce administrative burdens.

A Public Service Commission staff member told the committee the commission shared many of CCSA’s concerns but believes the amendment provides the commission the authority needed to implement tailored, enforceable rules. The staff member said the commission began an interconnection rulemaking last October, expects to have recommendations ready for the commission next month, and that those recommendations include enforcement options the staff could impose if the commission chooses.

“We think the amendment is complementary to the work we’re doing now,” the staff member said, adding that parties could petition the commission if they believe a prior approach should be preserved while the commission completes its updates.

There were no registered public commenters in person or virtually for this bill. The committee did not take a final vote on HB 269 at the March 25 hearing. The meeting recorded two procedural motions to approve minutes (from Jan. 28, 2026, and March 11, 2026), both adopted by voice vote before hearing the HB 269 discussion.

Next steps signaled at the hearing included the Public Service Commission finalizing its recommendations in the coming month and the committee continuing legislative consideration; no formal floor action or passage of HB 269 occurred at this meeting.