Standard Solar Expands Commercial PPA Portfolio with 13.7 MW Solar Project Supporting Maryland-Based Healthcare System
Standard Solar, a leading developer and owner of commercial and community solar assets across the United States, has expanded its commercial Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) portfolio with the successful completion of a new large-scale project for one of Maryland’s premier healthcare systems. The agreement will provide the healthcare provider with reliable, renewable energy for decades to come, while eliminating the need for upfront capital investment or development costs.
The project in focus, the 13.7-megawatt (MW) Costen Solar Farm, is now fully constructed and operational. It will supply electricity directly to the healthcare system under a 20-year PPA with Standard Solar, which owns and operates the facility. This arrangement offers the healthcare system a predictable, long-term supply of clean energy while allowing it to redirect resources toward its primary mission — delivering quality patient care.
Delivering Clean Power at Scale
The Costen Solar Farm is designed to generate approximately 19,700 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity in its first year of operation. This output represents a substantial reduction in carbon emissions, equivalent to removing thousands of passenger vehicles from the road annually or avoiding the combustion of millions of pounds of coal. Over the life of the agreement, the environmental benefits will multiply, supporting both the healthcare provider’s sustainability targets and Maryland’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS).
This renewable energy project illustrates how healthcare institutions — often some of the most energy-intensive facilities in any community — can leverage innovative financial structures like PPAs to decarbonize their operations. By eliminating upfront investment requirements, Standard Solar enables organizations to transition to clean energy without the financial risks typically associated with infrastructure development.
Meeting Healthcare’s High Energy Demands
Hospitals and healthcare campuses are among the highest energy users in the commercial sector. They require uninterrupted power for lighting, HVAC systems, diagnostic technologies, and life-supporting medical equipment, operating around the clock every day of the year. According to national data, hospitals account for 8.5% of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions, and they consume more energy per square foot than any other type of commercial building.
Recognizing these challenges, the Maryland-based healthcare system pursued a partnership with Standard Solar to secure a sustainable and dependable energy source. By integrating solar power into its energy mix, the organization is taking decisive steps to reduce its carbon footprint, hedge against volatile energy prices, and reinforce its broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments.
Voices from the Project
Mike Streams, Chief Development Officer at Standard Solar, emphasized the importance of PPAs in enabling healthcare providers and other large institutions to adopt renewable energy without compromising their financial stability:
“Healthcare systems are among the most energy-intensive institutions in our communities, and projects like this show how PPAs can help them decarbonize without financial or operational risk. By structuring agreements that remove upfront costs and deliver predictable clean energy, we’re enabling healthcare providers and other large energy users to meet sustainability commitments, lower emissions, and focus resources where they matter most — on patient care.”
Similarly, John Finnerty, Director of Business Development at Standard Solar, highlighted the replicability of the Costen Solar Farm model:
“Partnering on the Costen Solar Farm shows how Standard Solar can deliver clean energy solutions in sectors with the highest energy demands. This project is a model for other large energy consumers in Maryland, proving that clean power can be delivered efficiently into PJM accounts while advancing sustainability and financial goals. It’s also a testament to the strong collaboration between our team, Choptank Electric Cooperative, and PJM.”
Collaboration and Grid Integration
The success of the Costen Solar Farm also depended on strong partnerships. Working with Choptank Electric Cooperative and PJM Interconnection, Standard Solar ensured the seamless delivery of electricity into the grid. The integration of clean energy into PJM accounts demonstrates that renewable projects can be developed and executed in a way that strengthens grid reliability while advancing state and institutional sustainability priorities.
This collaborative approach showcases the importance of bringing together utilities, grid operators, and private developers to accelerate the energy transition. By aligning incentives and technical capabilities, projects like Costen set the stage for scaling renewable deployment across multiple sectors.
Advancing Statewide and Sector-Wide Climate Goals
The Costen Solar Farm aligns with Maryland’s climate action objectives, particularly the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, which mandates increasing proportions of clean energy in the electricity mix. By directly contributing renewable generation, the project helps the state progress toward its long-term carbon reduction goals while enabling one of its largest healthcare systems to play a leadership role in sustainability.
Beyond regulatory compliance, the initiative underscores the broader trend of healthcare providers embracing climate responsibility. With rising awareness of the link between environmental health and patient outcomes, hospitals and healthcare networks are increasingly viewing decarbonization as a public health imperative. Access to renewable energy, made possible through PPAs, is one of the most impactful strategies these organizations can adopt.
A Model for the Future
Standard Solar’s expanding PPA portfolio reflects the company’s broader strategy to enable institutions across industries to transition to clean energy. By combining financial innovation with technical expertise, the company is helping customers remove barriers to renewable adoption.
For the Maryland healthcare system, the Costen Solar Farm represents more than just an energy supply agreement — it is a strategic investment in resilience, sustainability, and community leadership. The long-term partnership with Standard Solar ensures not only financial predictability but also a lasting environmental legacy.
Projects like this serve as blueprints for how other hospitals, universities, corporations, and government entities can address their own high energy demands responsibly and sustainably. With healthcare alone responsible for a significant share of national emissions, replicating this model across the sector could yield transformative environmental outcomes.
