Pocomoke council presses for records after solar farm rebates plunge

Council members on June 22 pressed staff for documentation and usage data after describing a sharp fall in net-generation rebates from the city’s solar facility.

Council member Hall described repeated failed attempts to reach the firm operating the solar farm and said the city now pays roughly $23,000–$25,000 per month while receiving far smaller annual rebates than in the past. “When I first came on, the rebate was probably about 80, 90,000, and now we’re drastically dropping each year,” Hall said. He told colleagues the city received a single $31,000 rebate this year, while annual payments based on the current monthly figure would total roughly $240,000.

City Manager Brandy Matthews said she has invoices that show net generation by month but that staff must determine which municipal accounts are linked to the solar credits. Hall and others identified Standard Solar as the original company that presented the project in 2014–15 and said staff will contact that contractor and the current operator for contract terms and usage reports.

Council members debated next steps. One member urged seeking termination of the agreement; others said staff should first obtain contract details and usage data before recommending termination. The council asked staff to compile the contract, monthly net-generation records and the list of municipal accounts tied to solar credits so members can evaluate financial impacts and potential remedies.

Next steps: staff to retrieve contract documents, monthly net-generation reports and account linkages and report back to the council for consideration of potential contract termination or renegotiation.