First State Welcomes One of Its First Solar Farms

GEORGETOWN, Del. — A ribbon cutting event was recently held in Georgetown, Delaware, to mark the construction of a new 4.7-megawatt direct current solar farm. Nautilus Solar Energy and TurningPoint Energy collaborated on the project, which is part of a six-project, 30MWdc portfolio that has been developed by TPE and is being built and operated by Nautilus.

Construction was completed in early 2025 and is expected to begin delivering energy to customers within the Delmarva Power service territory in the next few months.

This project is part of Delaware’s Community Energy Facility Program that launched in April 2022 and was signed into law via Senate Bill 2.

Passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, Senate Bill 2 provided the legal framework for Delmarva Power customers to take advantage of solar power without needing to install solar panels on their properties. Instead, customers can receive credit on their electric bills by participating in a local community solar project, which can be developed under a variety of ownership, management and contract models.   

SB 2 updated Delaware’s existing law to reflect lessons learned in other states and remove barriers that prevented community solar from flourishing in the First State. The legislation also required that all community solar projects in Delaware serve a diverse customer base that must include low-income and middle-class households.  

“The use of solar and other renewable forms of energy is essential to protecting our life-sustaining natural world and its resources,” said Delaware State Sen. Stephanie Hansen, primary sponsor of SB 2.

“We know that rising energy costs have been a major financial burden for countless Delaware families. Investing in additional, diverse, clean energy sources are not only a win for the environment, but a win in our ongoing effort to lower costs for our constituents and provide energy reliability,” she said in a written statement.

The solar project will provide electric bill savings to residents and other organizations that subscribe as part of the Community Energy Facility Program. Over its lifetime, this project is expected to generate approximately 8 million kilowatt-hours annually, contributing to Delaware’s goal of sourcing 40% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2035.

“The opening of this community solar farm represents Nautilus’ entrance in Delaware and our continued expansion of community solar across the United States,” said Eric LaMora, vice president of Community Solar at Nautilus, in a written statement.

“TPE is a valued partner with Nautilus in our mission to make clean, affordable energy available to everyone, including low-income households and small businesses.”

One of the local groups benefiting from the solar project is Springboard Delaware, a nonprofit founded in 2020 to create innovative, affordable housing solutions that address the root causes of homelessness and promote long-term stability.

Judson Malone, co-founder and executive director, said, “At Springboard Delaware, we believe housing stability and environmental sustainability go hand-in-hand. Being a beneficiary of this community solar project means we can lower our energy costs while advancing our mission to create safe, dignified housing for our most vulnerable neighbors.”

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