CHESTERTOWN — A quiet corner of Chestertown may soon become home to a cutting-edge floating solar array, thanks to a newly approved lease agreement between the town and Third Pillar Solar, a renewable energy company working on a large-scale project atop the town’s wastewater lagoon.
The site, located off John Hanson Road, already houses the town’s wastewater treatment plant and serves as a popular birding location, with more than 160 species reported.
The Town of Chestertown is working with Tom Dietz, the environmental committee’s energy adviser, on the project, which is still in the design phase.
If constructed, the solar array would feature 7 megawatts of floating solar panels anchored to the lagoon and connected to Delmarva Power. The system would be built and operated by Third Pillar Solar, a U.S.-based company specializing in floating solar arrays on municipal and industrial water bodies.
At its June 3 meeting, the Chestertown Council approved a lease agreement allowing Third Pillar to proceed with development. The same night, Dietz’s plan to begin project design was approved.
