New Castle County, DE — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

New Castle County UDC solar setbacks: ≥50–100 ft from property lines in rural districts; ≥200 ft from non-participating dwellings; ≤15 ft height. Urban/suburban areas: rooftop and commercial solar dominant. Exact setback numbers should be verified with New Castle County Land Use.

New Castle County DE: CUP under Unified Development Code; Planning Board. DNREC permit for coastal/wetlands impacts.

Favorable politically — Wilmington urban progressive; land is primary constraint; corporate HQ presence (DuPont, JPMorgan, etc.)

N DE; Wilmington metro; densest DE county; urban/suburban; very limited utility-scale land; commercial/community solar primary; DNREC permitting applies

Improving

DNREC (Dept of Natural Resources and Environmental Control) regulates utility-scale solar under the Coastal Zone Act and Regulations for Renewable Energy Generating Facilities. Projects ≥25 MW in regulated area require DNREC permit; projects in Coastal Zone require Coastal Zone Act permit. Public Service Commission (PSC) may review larger facilities. County land use process also required: New Castle County: County Council land use approval; Kent County: levy court/county council process; Sussex County: Board of Adjustment CUP or Sussex County Council approval. Delaware has no statewide solar preemption; local approvals required in addition to state permitting. Very limited agricultural land (small state, ~2,000 sq mi); most utility-scale opportunity in Sussex County (largest DE county, most agricultural land). All DE in PJM / Delmarva Power (DLCO) zone. Delaware has aggressive RPS and generally receptive political climate for solar — one of most solar-friendly states in PJM territory.

Delaware RPS 40% by 2035 (enacted 2021, SB 33). SREC market: Delaware-specific solar renewable energy certificates tradeable through PJM GATS; value tied to RPS solar carve-out compliance. Energize Delaware: low-interest financing for commercial/residential solar. Net metering available through Delmarva Power, Delaware Electric Coop, and municipal utilities. DNREC SolarRenewables program tracks solar development. Utility: Delmarva Power (Eversource subsidiary) serves most of DE; Delaware Electric Coop serves rural areas.

Solar development in New Castle County — most populous DE county; mixed industrial/suburban/agricultural land. Delmarva Power (Eversource) primary utility. PJM interconnection via PECO/ACE service area adjacent. Multiple DNREC-approved utility-scale projects 2017-2025. Wilmington area has commercial/municipal rooftop solar.

No confirmed Delaware PSC denial or county Board of Adjustment rejection for New Castle County. Sussex County: most solar activity in DE; Board of Adjustment governs CUPs. DNREC §402/407 applies in coastal zone (Delaware Coastal Zone Act). Source: DE PSC; Delaware Coastal Zone Act