I am hastened to write a letter to your readers hoping to head off potential problems that are now converging on the Eastern shore electric power grid.
This letter’s purpose is simply to warn future investors in private solar generation within a certain area, people with the best of intentions to saving a warming planet, to be prepared for another wait. A long one and one you didn’t expect.
I was recently (painfully) made aware, after waiting for one year to connect to the local electric power “grid” with newly installed solar photovoltaic panels, that the grid is essentially closed to new installations where we live. We are ( to coin a phrase) locked out, and without explanation.Our power provider, Choptank Electric, a rural electric cooperative, apparently has a substation capacity problem where the grid cannot handle any more electrical generation from solar or wind powered systems. We find now without warning from Choptank and with no warning, reply, or elaboration by the utility.
All this is especially Very annoying after a frustrating full one year application, receive a denial for connection and no future of such connection scheduled. Can they do this? Yes they can.
Choptank Electric is a utility that was formed in the depression era to connect people to the electric grid, because early profit hungry electric utilities in cities refused access to rural areas if they could not recoup expenses in the early days of electrification ( Not true anymore ).
Of course we suspect that these cooperatives are interested mostly in selling/providing power not buying from customers. State law requires all utilities in Maryland to offer grid access to solar customers, but now because of undersized utility connections, a problem that has shut down possible upgrades, ours included, the power sharing deal is apparently off.
After entering the ridiculously overzealous world of building permits, electrical connection drawings, various permissions and time to review, you’d think any reasonable utility would see this problem coming and at the very least warn customers of this impending issue. Or at least alert you to the possible issue at the time of application. Nothing like that. No warning , just a denial. Maddening! Irresponsible!
Yet, I am not lost on the irony of problem, the very companies whose mission ( was and is ) to connect the rural communities to the power grid find themselves denying access to the grid as power generators.? All this seems so counterproductive, and yet without any actual response from Choptank after many attempts ,we are left to wonder and come to own conclusions.
The Conclusion, at least mine is, sadly, that this is 1) very bad planning by leadership at Choptank and or 2) perhaps fossil fuel power providers ( big ones) are taking hostages like choptank coop ( So, gun to head, you buy our power or none at all.
So, are the fossil fuel companies conspiring against green power ? It’s America and independent unregulated business always seems to always have a devious intent. Anyway, it smells like it to me but without comment from the utility we wouldn’t know.
Yet , potentially, our peninsula could provide good clean source of energy and connections to consumers who need power in grids within the Philadelphia Baltimore Washington areas , this should be something we as a a rural farming area can gladly offer and profit from .
Why not let our region be Known for renewable solar farming rather than further polluting the bay with the effluent of eastern shore chicken farms. Seems like it’s an golden economic opportunity to transition away from destructive agriculture for the area, but it’s not if we can’t connect to metro area grids through transmission lines. If government and power utilities can’t get out of their own way , why shouldn’t the consumer have options to provide their own power.
I’m providing a link to an article by Bill Gates , an initiative he has financed to update the national electric grid. You may want to read this too, I do recommend the article. It’s constructive and it lays out the possible fixes.
If you are in Choptank electric coop country ( see red out regions of map provided below by Choptank ) you’d be smarter to invest in a battery storage system to accept your new electric generation, and don’t expect any SREC credits from your over-generation and Size only to what you can use in the short term.
Battery storage can cost as much as the actual solar panel installation so be forewarned of this high add on option . A few companies offer lithium ion battery back up batteries , LG is one, but they cost upwards of 10k for a 8 kilowatt system. Expensive!
We had actually contacted our regional new state senator ( we got no reply) complaining that these rural electric companies freeze out customers looking for energy independence. No honorable intention should be penalized. No good intention should go punished. We need to do better and we expect a lot better treatment from our public utilities.
Jay Corvan
Trappe
Trappe
Choptank Service Area
Marge in Chestertown says
Where might the Md. Public Service Commission stand on this matter, if it has been involved? According to this recent article, the PSC seems likely to have considerable membership turnover soon.
https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/01/27/gov-moore-is-about-to-shake-up-the-public-service-commission-heres-why-it-matters/
Bill Anderson says
Jay Corvan — You are correct in your opinion that something isn’t right about Choptank Electric debnying your application to connect your solar power output to their system. I do not know the rules, etc., but recommend that you may want to mail this letter to the Maryland Public Service Commission. I can almost guarantee you will get a response. I don’t know if you will like the response, but at least you will be informed.
Jane Malone says
We had the same experience with Delmarva Power – in 2017. Only after a similarly extensive effort to plan solar for our home in Kennedyville, we learned that the Delmarva lines that run through Kennedyville, Crumpton and Millington were open to no new connections. Fortunately our solar provider refunded our deposit (Thanks, Solar World!)
And then, a couple of years ago, all of the lines on this circuit were replaced. Did this open up the circuit to new connections? No. Could anyone at Delmarva Power explain why not? No.
The map for Delmarva’s connectivity is here: https://pepco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/111ae63fddd74bafbb34ba633b16a92c
We need an alert county government and a more consumer-focused state regulator to step in to curb these monopolies and open up access. Or our elected officials? Someone?
(If any provider is willing to offer 100% battery with solar, we would be interested. We haven’t been able to find one.