Chaberton Energy broke ground on its first community solar project Thursday in Delaware.

Project Crestone will preserve 25 acres of land and generate enough energy to power more than 500 households, according to Chaberton Energy. The land in Harrington is owned by a local family.

Delaware produces less energy than any other state and uses 80 times more energy than it produces, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

State Sen. Stephanie Hansen sponsored legislation in 2021 to encourage solar energy projects in Delaware.

“That will have a tremendous effect on our renewable energy goals, on us making the transition, and it being helpful for people, a reduction of the cost of their electricity,” Hansen said. “Who doesn’t want that?”

Chaberton Energy’s chief commercial and sustainability officer Erica Brinker said they will be using the land sustainably.

“We like to call it agrovoltaics. It’s the combination of, when you combine PV or solar with agriculture,” Brinker said. “They’re important because they preserve the bee habitat.”

Crestone will also offer space for sheep grazing.

“Those provide probably the best photo ops in all of solar, seeing [sheep] next to solar. But sheeps actually do quite well because of the height of the solar and so they can coexist quite peacefully together.”

Chaberton Energy has another 20-acre project in Magnolia. Both will be operational in 2025.