PSC Invites Comments on Proposed Solar Project in Cumberland
May 14, 2026
(BALTIMORE, MD) – Local residents and other interested members of the public are invited to comment on a proposal by Solar Star Allegany South LLC to build a 4.95 MW solar generating facility in Allegany County. The hearing will take place on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the LaVale Library (Meeting Room A), 815 National Hwy. in LaVale.
The Maryland Public Service Commission has delegated this case to its Public Utility Law Judge Division; Chief Public Utility Law Judge Kristin Case Lawrence will preside over the hearing.
In July 2025, the developer 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 22 acres of a 124-acre property located at 11515 Cash Valley Road in Cumberland. 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.
The hearing will also include a virtual option for those unable to attend in person. Attendees can register (by May 27, 2026) from the ‘File a Public Comment’ page of the Commission’s website, https://psc.maryland.gov/online-services/file-a-public-comment/:
- Scroll down to the Calendly application;
- Click on the entry for ‘9805-Solar Star Allegany South, LLC (CPCN)’
- Click on May 28, 2026, select 6:00 p.m. and click ‘Next’
- Enter name and email address and click ‘Schedule Event’
Registrants will receive a Zoom link by email after finishing the sign-up process. 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. 9805 and can be sent through June 30, 2026.
In addition to the online case docket, a copy of the application is available for public view at the Allegany County Department of Planning and Zoning, Allegany County Complex, 701 Kelly Road in Cumberland.
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Media contact: Tori Leonard | tori.leonard@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.