PSC Sets 7/14 Public Comment Hearing on Proposed Solar Project in Frederick County
June 30, 2026
(BALTIMORE, MD) – Local residents and other interested members of the public are again invited to comment on a proposal by Blacks Mill Road Solar 1, LLC to build a 5.0 MW solar generating facility in Frederick County. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lewistown Volunteer District Fire Department, 11101 Hessong Bridge Road in Frederick. Previous public comment hearings in this case were held in January and June of this year.
The Maryland Public Service Commission has delegated this case to its Public Utility Law Judge Division; Public Utility Law Judge Jennifer J. Grace will preside over the hearing.
In July 2025, the developer – New Leaf Energy – applied to the Commission for what is known as a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), which grants an applicant the authority to construct an energy generating station in Maryland. According to the application, the developer proposes to build the project on nearly 47 acres of a 142.5-acre property located at 7308 Blacks Mill Road in Thurmont. The project will generate energy to be allocated to community solar subscribers within Potomac Edison’s service territory.
In addition to taking comments from the public, the hearing will include a presentation by the applicant, brief statements by the parties, including the Power Plant Research Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Commission’s Technical Staff, as to their respective roles and recommendations in the case.
Barring any technical difficulties, a recording will be available on the PULJ Division’s (MD PSC PULJs) YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@mdpscpuljs327
In addition to the hearing, written comments can be sent electronically through the Commission’s online portal at: https://psc.maryland.gov/online-services/file-a-public-comment/, or by mail. Comments sent by mail should be addressed to: Jamie Bergin, Chief Clerk, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. So that they are noted in the proper case file, all comments should reference Case No. 9804 and can be sent by July 17, 2026.
In addition to the online case docket, a copy of the application is available for public view at the Frederick County Zoning Administration, 30 N. Market Street in Frederick.
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Media contact: Tori Leonard | tori.leonard@maryland.gov; after June 30, please contact Kathy Fueston, kathy.fueston@maryland.gov
About the Public Service Commission:
The Maryland Public Service Commission regulates electric and gas utilities and suppliers, telephone companies (land lines), private water and sewer companies, passenger motor vehicle carriers for hire, taxicab companies in some jurisdictions and bay pilot rates. The Commission implements the State’s energy policy and also regulates the siting of energy generating facilities and high-voltage transmission lines.
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