Residents of the Cape May, New Jersey area will soon get a first-hand look at the benefits of solar power, with help from a recently announced demonstration project.

According to Atlantic City Electric, it will launch the demonstration project with Petra Solar, featuring photovoltaic systems mounted on utility poles around Cape May and Ocean City. The installation is expected to be complete by the end of April.

"We are committed to delivering reliable and affordable electricity to our customers, and through this effort, we will test a new approach that offers great promise for sustainable, clean energy production," said Vince Maione of Atlantic City Electric.

Distributed solar projects are becoming increasingly common because they allow utilities to generate clean power while facing fewer regulatory burdens and in many cases, lower costs for materials, land and other needs.

This particular project is said to involve solar generators that have smart grid capabilities to make their performance more efficient and reliable.