Scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..
Scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Updated: August 12, 2026 @ 3:51 pm
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Sussex County Council approved the application following a public hearing and after adopting an amendment reducing the amount of time privacy screening must remain on the project’s perimeter fencing from 10 years to five years.
Sussex County Council approved a conditional-use application Tuesday allowing Pivot Energy DEL045, LLC to move forward with plans for a solar project on a 45-acre property near Millsboro. The property is located along Norwood Lane, about 950 feet southwest of Oak Orchard Road. The solar arra…
MILLSBORO, Del. – Sussex County Council approved a conditional-use application Tuesday allowing Pivot Energy DEL045, LLC to move forward with plans for a solar project on a 45-acre property near Millsboro. The property is located along Norwood Lane, about 950 feet southwest of Oak Orchard Road. The solar array itself would occupy just over 15 acres of the property, with the remainder continuing to be available for agricultural use.
Sussex County Council approved the application following a public hearing and after adopting an amendment reducing the amount of time privacy screening must remain on the project’s perimeter fencing from 10 years to five years.
Sussex County Council approved the application following a public hearing and after adopting an amendment reducing the amount of time privacy screening must remain on the project’s perimeter fencing from 10 years to five years.
The project includes a 30-foot-wide landscaped buffer around the perimeter, with a mix of 70% evergreen and 30% deciduous vegetation. A seven-foot-tall fence with privacy screening is also planned around the array.
Property owner Elgin Johnson told council the land has been in his family for generations and has historically been used for agriculture. Johnson said he does not intend to sell the property and views the solar project as a way to generate income while preserving the land for future generations. Representatives for the applicant said the project would operate under a 25-year lease and could eventually be returned to farmland.
At a July 15 Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission hearing, Patriots Glen resident Tracy Johnson spoke in opposition to the project. Johnson said the proposed 30-foot buffer of trees and shrubs would not provide enough screening and argued the neighboring community could look more like an industrial area than a residential neighborhood. She also told commissioners she had created a petition opposing the project that had 172 signatures.
Pivot Energy says the project still needs to go through agency approvals following the county’s approval. Council members voted in favor of the application as amended, citing the recommendation from the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission and testimony presented during the hearing.
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