NEWPORT — Harvey Hanna & Associates has announced a deal that would install solar panels on more than 1.8 million square feet of rooftops on eight properties, including its future Scotts Run warehouse in Middletown.
The agreement is with King Energy, a venture-backed commercial solar company that builds, owns and operates rooftop solar on multi-tenant properties. It calls for more than 19 megawatts of direct current across the eight properties owned by Harvey Hanna, according to a press release. All eight projects are still in development and the entire portfolio is projected to represent more than 19 megawatts.
So far, these projects include the 1.3 million square-foot warehouse complex planned near Jamison Corner and Scotts Run, 750 Governor Lea Rd. in New Castle and 400 Ships Landing Way in New Castle, as well as five more unidentified properties.
The solar energy projected from the three named sites would be more than 14.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. That would be roughly enough to power 1,400 homes, based on a household average provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“At Harvey Hanna, we believe our buildings can do more than simply provide space for businesses. They can also contribute to the communities around them,” Harvey Hanna Managing Director Thomas Harvey said in a press release. “We have a significant portfolio of commercial rooftops, and this partnership with King Energy gives us an opportunity to put that existing infrastructure to work in a meaningful way. We’re excited about the long-term environmental and community benefits this program can provide.”
Harvey Hanna boasts of owning and managing nearly 4 million square feet of industrial and commercial space in Delaware and Maryland. The firm has undergone a major transition, with CEO E. Thomas Harvey III welcomed his three sons into the fold in top leadership positions.
The company reports it is developing 1.6 million square feet of industrial space, along with a mixed-use community. This summer, it acquired 103 acres of land prepped to build industrial and warehouse space in Middletown for $25 million.
The solar announcement offers a different approach to a Delaware challenge. The First State generates less electricity than it uses and imports a large share of its power through the regional grid run by PJM Interconnection. Delaware’s net generation was about 4.8 million megawatt-hours in 2024, among the lowest of any state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. State law requires utilities to get 40% of their power from renewable energy by 2035 and utility providers typically comply by buying renewable energy credits or solar renewable energy credits.
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Harvey Hanna and King Energy’s project would supply about 2.2% of the energy needed to meet that standard, according to Harvey Hanna officials.
King Energy CEO John Witchel said that Harvey Hanna “has been a terrific partner” because the company recognizes the opportunity at hand and takes a long-term view of the issue.
“By working together, we’re able to turn existing commercial buildings into sources of clean energy while expanding access to community solar for Delaware residents,” Witchel said in the release.
Gov. Matt Meyer’s office has accepted four King Energy solar projects into its JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator, a program meant to speed approvals around the state. That includes 400 Ships Landing Way, as well as others such as the Frankford Business Park in Sussex County and 1001 Lambson Lane and 10 Dock View Drive in New Castle.
Together, those projects account for 9.67 megawatts and $20.3 million in proposed private investment, according to the governor’s office.
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