Tower Solar Roundup, October 30: State Auctions, Thin-Film Solar and Farm Energy

Archive context

This roundup covers the week ending October 30, 2026. It was checked before publication on November 5. References to that week describe historical announcements; forecasts and program terms remain subject to the official sources.

The week in one view

Three developments stood out for solar customers, businesses and developers. Maryland opened a competitive grant program for grid-scale renewable energy and storage. DOE’s background materials explain cadmium-telluride thin-film solar technology. Pennsylvania highlighted a grant-backed farm project that will turn organic waste into heat and electricity. Each item is real, but each sits at a different stage. Maryland has not selected projects, DOE’s research goals are not commercial guarantees, and Pennsylvania’s farm system is planned rather than operating.

Maryland opens a competitive clean-energy auction

The Maryland Energy Administration opened Stage 1 of Megawatts for Maryland, a two-year program authorized for up to $200 million. The agency lists up to $100 million for fiscal 2027 and anticipates another $100 million for fiscal 2028. Eligible grid-scale renewable and storage developers must pass an eligibility stage before submitting a final bid. Stage 1 applications are due November 30, 2026, and Stage 2 bids are due January 22, 2027. The state expects award decisions in spring 2027.

The grants are not homeowner rebates, and no award guarantees a project will be built. Officials say more in-state supply could reduce cost pressure, but the published materials do not establish a specific customer bill reduction. Developers should test interconnection, site control, permitting, equipment, financing and tax assumptions before choosing a bid price.

DOE explains where cadmium-telluride solar fits

DOE’s background technology explainer describes cadmium-telluride, or CdTe, as a thin-film solar technology that uses a highly absorptive semiconductor layer. DOE says CdTe was the second most common photovoltaic technology after crystalline silicon and represented 21% of the U.S. market in 2022. That percentage is historical, not a current 2026 market share. DOE also says more than 90% of a retired CdTe module can be recycled.

The National Laboratory of the Rockies lists research into higher cell efficiency, lower manufacturing cost and stronger domestic supply chains. Those are research targets, not promised module prices or project output. Commercial buyers should compare tested efficiency, temperature behavior, degradation, warranty responsibility, availability and end-of-life arrangements for the exact product being offered.

Pennsylvania backs a farm waste-to-energy system

Pennsylvania DEP highlighted a $971,006 RISE PA grant awarded to Jubilee Dairy for an anaerobic digester and combined heat-and-power system. The planned equipment would process manure and food waste into biogas, then use the gas to produce electricity and heat. DEP says the project is expected to meet the farm’s electricity needs and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 38%. Those figures are agency and project forecasts until the system is installed and measured.

This is not a solar project, but it matters to commercial energy planning. Farms, manufacturers and food businesses often have energy needs and waste streams that cannot be addressed by rooftop solar alone. A practical design may combine efficiency, renewable generation, storage or waste-to-energy based on the site. Customers should ask who owns the equipment, how maintenance is funded, what happens if projected fuel supply changes and whether savings estimates include downtime.

What to watch next

Maryland scheduled a program webinar for November 4, which has now passed. New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities has scheduled a November 12 informational webinar on siting and land use for competitive solar, community solar and dual-use solar projects. The New Jersey notice does not announce a new award, rule or customer deadline, but the discussion may show where state siting policy is heading. Developers should monitor the official materials rather than rely on summaries or sales claims.

The practical takeaway

This week’s common thread is that an announcement is only the beginning. A grant program still needs eligible bids, contracts and completed projects. A laboratory roadmap still needs commercial products that meet price and performance requirements. A planned farm-energy system still needs construction, commissioning and measured results. Homeowners should keep comparing total system price, production assumptions, financing and warranty terms. Businesses and developers should add interconnection, site control, tax treatment, operating risk and decommissioning responsibility to that checklist. Tower Solar’s calculator, proposal review and commercial resources can help organize those questions, but policy, tax and legal decisions require qualified human review.