Delaware’s largest solar farm goes online

Sixty-two thousand solar panels spread across 80 acres near Milford are now up and running as Delaware’s largest solar installation.

State leaders joined power company officials to celebrate the completion of the solar farm.  The solar panels will generate enough solar energy to power 9,000 homes on a sunny day.  

“The Milford Solar Farm is a great fit with Delaware’s commitment to a future of clean, renewable energy sources, Gov. Jack Markell said.  “The project’s far-reaching benefits began with the construction jobs it brought to the Milford area and will continue with many years of power production and economic benefits for the central part of our state.”

The Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to buy power from the PSEG-run farm.  DEMEC CEO Patrick McCullar says 61 percent of the state’s 43.8 megawatts of installed or planned solar generation in Delaware is in DEMEC territories.  “This becomes an even more striking statistic when you consider that DEMEC municipal service territories make up less than 15 percent of electric service in the entire state.”

PSEG says the solar farm displaces approximately 12,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.  That’s the equivalent of removing about 2,300 cars from the state’s roads.