Delaware just hit a major renewable energy milestone. The Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) and the Town of Middletown recently marked the completion of the state’s first-ever floating solar facility with an official ribbon cutting, bringing together local officials, community members, and energy leaders to commemorate the occasion.

The project is impressive by any measure. Spanning 6 acres of a 14-acre wastewater treatment pond in Middletown, the facility features more than 5,000 solar panels generating 3 megawatts of clean electricity, making it one of the five largest floating solar installations on the entire East Coast.

By placing solar panels on an existing wastewater pond, the project generates renewable energy without using up valuable open land- a creative, practical solution to one of renewable energy’s biggest challenges. It’s exactly the kind of innovative thinking Delaware needs as we work toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future.

The project was nearly a decade in the making, the result of sustained collaboration between DEMEC, the Town of Middletown, and partners including D3 Energy, Gardner Capital, and American Municipal Power. Federal tax incentives helped keep costs down, and a $125,000 grant from the American Public Power Association will fund a case study so other communities across the country can learn from and replicate this model.

At Energize Delaware, we’re inspired by projects like this. They show what’s possible when communities commit to forward-thinking energy solutions. Whether it’s a floating solar facility or energy efficiency upgrades for your home or business, the path to a cleaner Delaware is built one project at a time.