Delaware
‘Great sign of things to come’: Major rooftop solar project launches in Delaware
Delaware’s largest rooftop solar project is now online with state leaders hoping it marks a turning point for renewable energy across the state.
The massive rooftop installation at Delmarva Corrugated Packaging in Kent County is expected to generate about 30% of the company’s daily power needs, reducing costs and easing demand on the regional power grid.
The project comes as solar energy continues to grow nationwide.
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows solar generation increasing year over year while costs have dropped significantly over the past few decades.
Combined with improvements in battery storage, wind and solar now generate more than 17% of the country’s electricity.
In Dover, the nonprofit Energize Delaware is helping drive that momentum.
The group also operates solar-powered electric vehicle chargers that offer free and clean energy to drivers.
“It’s actually our largest investment in Kent County and it’s phenomenal work they’re doing,” Drew Slater of Energize Delaware said. “They built the building 30% more efficient than what a standard building would be and now they’ve added solar on top of it. It’s just furthering their own sustainability goals.”
The rooftop array itself spans about 10 acres — space that otherwise would have gone unused.
Advocates say rooftop solar offers an alternative to building arrays on open land, though challenges remain.
Large buildings often need to be constructed or retrofitted to support the weight of solar panels which has limited widespread adoption so far.
Still, as technology improves and costs continue to fall, more businesses and property owners may follow suit.
“I think it’s a great sign of things to come,” Slater said.
While projects like this won’t solve all of Delaware’s energy challenges, supporters say every addition helps — and this one is already making an impact.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
A man riding motorcycle was killed in a crash in Wilmington on Saturday afternoon, Delaware State Police said.
The crash occurred at around 1 p.m. at the intersection of Limestone Road and Ocheltree Lane, police said. An investigation has found that the motorcyclist was traveling northbound on Limestone Road when he was struck by a Honda Accord that was trying to make a left turn onto Ocheltree Lane from the southbound side of Limestone Road.
The man on the motorcycle tried to avoid the crash by laying the motorcycle down on the road, but the motorcycle slid into the Honda, causing the man to be ejected from the motorcycle, police said.
The motorcyclist, who has been identified as a 38-year-old from Wilmington, was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The man’s name is being withheld at this time so next of kin can be notified, police said.
According to police, the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet and had a green light at the time of the crash. The Honda Accord, which was driven by a 77-year-old woman from Edgewood, Maryland, had a red blinking arrow light.
The woman was uninjured in the crash and police said they are still investigating the exact cause. No charges have been announced.
A fire tore through a church in Wilmington, Delaware, leaving most of the historic structure in ruins.
Battalion Chief of the Wilmington Fire Department, Robert Pryor, told NBC10 that the fire broke out around 3 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Mother African Union Church along North Franklin Street.
Pryor said the fire spread throughout the entire church, shooting flames 20 to 30 feet into the air.
It took crews over an hour to get the fire under control.
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
Wilmington Fire Department
While firefighters battled the flames, they also evacuated the surrounding homes due to falling embers, according to Pryor. Those residents have since returned to their homes.
Residents in the area told NBC10 that they smelled the fire before they saw it.
“I looked up the street and the flames were higher than that steeple,” said neighbor Kathleen Brawders.
Wilmington Fire Department Wilmington Fire Department 
The building is now structurally unstable, and no one is allowed inside, Pryor shared.
The cause of the fire is now under investigation.
NEW CASTLE COUNTY, Del. – A Wilmington man was arrested and charged in connection with three armed robberies in New Castle County earlier this month, police announced.
What we know:
Michael Reynolds was charged on Friday with eight felonies, including three counts each of robbery and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, according to the Delaware State Police.
The first robbery happened on May 3, at a Shore Stop on South Old Baltimore Pike in Newark. According to police, Reynolds walked into the store around 8:15 p.m., armed with a knife and wearing a mask. He demanded money from the clerk, police said, then walked off.
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The next robbery happened less than 24 hours later. Around 7:30 p.m. Reynolds is accused of doing the same thing at a Shell gas station on New Castle Avenue in New Castle. Police say he walked in with a knife and demanded money from the cash register.
After this robbery, officers were able to identify the suspect’s car, a white Ford Taurus, and appeared to find it in Wilmington. Officers tried to chase the car, but the driver got away. Police found the car abandoned.
Reynolds was arrested shortly after that. Once in custody, police said they connected Reynolds to “additional incidents” New Castle County that are currently under investigation.
What we don’t know:
Police did not say what those other incidents were.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Delaware State Police Department.
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