THURMONT- Residents and stakeholders are invited to a public hearing on proposals for a solar project in the greater-Thurmont area this month.
The proposal by Blacks Mill Road Solar 1, LLC is to build a 5.0 MW solar generating facility at 7308 Blacks Mill Road in Thurmont. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, July 14, 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, 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

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