ECA Power holds informational meeting for Woodpecker Road solar project near Seaford

Last Tuesday, ECA Power held an informational meeting at the Seaford Fire Department concerning the proposed Woodpecker Road project. The meeting came after Governor Matt Meyer announced the acceptance of four community solar projects, including the Woodpecker Road project and another ECA project located nearby, into the JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator.

ECA Power is proposing a 6.0178 MWdc/3.999 MWac community solar project near the corner of West Stein Highway and Woodpecker Road, located on 27 acres of land owned by ECA and located outside of Seaford city limits.

ECA Power is an employee-owned solar developer based in Waltham, MA. The company, founded in 2014, designs and builds large-scale community and commercial solar projects that look to deliver clean, affordable energy.

ECA Chief Development Officer Vincent Moschella said the company has 16 projects in Delaware with eight already constructed or under construction. ECA has to apply to Delaware Power for permission to connect to the grid.

Moschella said ECA is proposing an eight-foot fence around the project, located 1500 square feet from the intersection. The company is in the permit process with Sussex County for the property, which is zoned Agricultural Residential. The solar panels will follow the sun during the day. The project includes 24/7 remote monitoring of the site and equipment with no permanent on-site employees.

Other features of the proposed project are: a green mesh privacy screening on all sides with 4X4 openings for small animals to pass through and 16X16 openings for larger animals. The grass will grow up to three feet high. There will also be a sound barrier around the equipment pads and an evergreen pad.

After the project is done, in at least 30 years, it will be restored to the existing conditions and land use.

ECA’s Martha Deizemann said that residents who sign up with ECA Solar will see a 10 to 15 percent savings for Delmarva Power customers (Senate Bill 321 would guarantee at least 10 percent savings). ECA pays Delmarva Power an administrative fee so that customers are not charged a handling fee by Delmarva Power. Deizemann also said the company will make a donation to Seaford Fire Company.

A public hearing, through Sussex County, is expected to take place in late summer/early fall, with construction expected to start by next spring, if the project is approved. Construction is slated to take nine months and will include no concrete foundations.

State permits would be expedited with the project being included in the state’s accelerator program.

Members of the audience had many questions and comments about the proposed project. One person stated that solar is not that efficient, even when the sun shines. He added that fossil fuel is used to make the panels and said the land, formerly a farm, can be used to grow crops, and the solar panels can be put on a home roof or in commercial parking lots.

Moschella said the company has done roof and parking lot projects and called them inefficient. He added that most people don’t want them on their roofs and that they are more expensive.

“We’re not in a position in this state or this city to choose where our electricity comes from. The state needs electricity generated here to bring your energy bills down,” said Moschella. “We’re the only ones that are putting steel into the ground.”

One resident questioned Delmarva Power’s involvement in the project. Moschella said a House bill in 2021 forced Delmarva Power to allow the projects to be built and for the company to sell to their customers. Delmarva Power owns the poles but has no ownership in the project.

A number of people questioned the project’s effect on the area’s drinking water. ECA representatives said the solar equipment is no different than copper or aluminum in house.

Another resident asked if lightning strikes would lead to water contamination.

“There’s nothing in the panel to leak. To leak you need a liquid and we have no liquids,” Moschella said.

Resident Brian Howard said the  proposed solar farm will directly affect 13 homes and indirectly affect another 12 homes in the immediate neighborhood.

“A number of these homes are new construction in recent years. This project will become their new front or back yard,” said Howard. “The name of my road is Farm View Drive, Solar Panel Lane doesn’t have the same ring to it.”

Howard cited rain water runoff and flooding, the affect on wildlife, and property values as potential negative effects of the project.

Moschella said the project will either be runoff neutral or it will improve runoff. He said he has no idea how property values will be affected by the solar farm project.

Governor Matt Meyer announces accelerated community solar projects- Governor Matt Meyer recently announced the acceptance of four community solar projects into the JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator.

The four community solar projects, developed by ECA Power and located in Sussex and New Castle Counties, have been accepted into the JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator established through Executive Order 18. Together, the projects represent more than 16 megawatts of new local solar generation capacity and more than $73 million in private-sector investment.

The projects include: Lonesome Road Community Energy Initiative in Seaford, and Woodpecker Road Community Energy Initiative in Seaford.

Each project is structured as community solar, allowing Delaware residents and businesses to subscribe and receive savings on their electric bills without installing rooftop solar panels.

The JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator is designed to reduce permitting timelines for key projects in energy, housing, water, broadband, and more. The program seeks to complete complex permitting reviews faster while maintaining Delaware’s environmental and public safety standards.