On Monday, July 20, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a public hearing on the proposed Halo Solar project in Betterton. The hearing will determine far more than the location of a solar facility—it will help shape the future of one of Maryland’s smallest and most historic waterfront towns.
Betterton supports renewable energy. This is not a debate about whether Maryland should expand solar generation. Rather, it is about whether this project belongs on the one parcel of land that Betterton has identified as essential to its future.
Under Betterton’s adopted Comprehensive Plan, the approximately 30-acre parcel proposed for the Halo Solar project is designated for mixed residential and commercial development as a planned neighborhood. It represents the Town’s only realistic opportunity for future growth. If converted to an industrial-scale solar facility, that opportunity could be lost for decades.
That matters because Betterton, like many Maryland communities, faces the challenge of remaining economically vibrant while preserving its historic character. The Town’s planned neighborhood could welcome new families, provide opportunities for affordable and workforce housing, create space for small businesses, broaden the Town’s tax base, and help sustain public services for future generations.
Please attend this important public hearing and show your support for Betterton. Decisions about land last for generations, and this decision will help determine whether Betterton retains the opportunity to grow into the community it has planned to become—or loses that opportunity for decades to come.
The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold its public hearing on the Halo Betterton Community Solar Project at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 20, at the Betterton Volunteer Fire Company. If you wish to speak, you may sign up when you arrive at the Fire Company. Written comments may be submitted through July 22. Information about filing comments is available on the PSC website:
https://psc.maryland.gov/online-services/file-a-public-comment/
Even if you do not wish to speak, please consider attending the hearing to show your support for the Betterton community.
