Second Public Hearing Set for Solar Facility Proposed for Cecil County
February 11, 2026
(BALTIMORE, MD) – Local residents and other interested members of the public are again invited to comment on a proposal by Halo NE1 LLC to build a 5.0 MW solar generating facility in Cecil County. The hybrid hearing will take place on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at Cecil College, Technology Center, Room TC D106 Amphitheatre, 1 Seahawk Drive in North East.
The Public Service Commission has delegated this case to its Public Utility Law Judge Division; Public Utility Law Judge Christine L. Burke will preside over the hearing. The first hearing in this case took place in June 2025.
In October 2025, the developer applied to the Maryland Public Service 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 21 acres of a 71-acre property at 845 Wheatley Road in North East.
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.
For those unable to attend in person, there is an online option. To participate virtually, sign up (by February 23, 2026) through the Calendly app on the Commission’s website, psc.maryland.gov:
● From the home page, scroll down to ‘Comment on a Case’ on the left;
● Click the link for ‘Learn More’;
● Scroll down to the Calendly app and click on ‘9779-Halo NE 1 LLC (CPCN)’;
● Click the hearing date (February 25);
● Click the time (6:00 p.m.);
● Click ‘Next’, enter name and email
● Click ‘Schedule Event’
Once the sign up process is complete, registrants will receive a Zoom link. Barring any technical difficulties, the hearing can also be watched on the PULJ Division’s (MD PSC PULJs) YouTube channel: 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. 9779.
In addition to the online docket, the application is available for review at the Cecil County Department of Planning and Zoning, 200 Chesapeake Blvd. (Suite 2300) in Elkton.
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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 energy policy of the State and also regulates the siting of energy generating facilities and high-voltage transmission lines.