MEA Grant Spurs Solar for Low-to-Moderate Income Marylanders

On Thursday, September 9, 2021, Standard Solar hosted U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) Executive Director Abigail Ross Hopper, local government representatives and other dignitaries for a tour of Maryland’s newest community solar array. 

Located in Union Bridge, MD, the Shepherd’s Mill Community Solar Project has over 2.8 megawatts of solar capacity, producing about 4,000,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year; approximately enough to power 315 Maryland homes for a year. At least 30% of the energy from the array will be provided to low-and-moderate income (LMI) subscribers at a 30% savings.

Attending the event to represent the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) were Director of Energy Programs Eric Coffman, and Energy Program Managers David Comis and Abigail Antonini. MEA supported this project with a $440,000 grant from the Community Solar LMI PPA Incentive Grant Program (LMI-PPA Program). This program is designed to help extend the benefits of community solar projects to Maryland residents that are disproportionately affected by the cost of energy related to income. The deadline to apply for this program is Friday, October 1, 2021 at 11:59pm.   

OGOS Energy, working with Earth and Air Technologies, performed the initial development of the project, ultimately turning it over to Standard Solar which funded the project’s construction.  Standard Solar is the project’s owner and operator.

For more information on this community solar project please read Standard Solar’s press release at:. https://standardsolar.com/news/industry-leaders-standard-solar-and-seia-hosted-maryland-congressional-delegation-at-shepherds-mill-community-solar-project/

For more information on MEA’s Community Solar LMI PPA grant program please visit the site at: https://energy.maryland.gov/residential/Pages/CommunitySolarLMI-PPA.aspx