Executive Summary
The Latest News from County Executive Jan Gardner
Frederick County Is Powered by the Sun!
Solar Array Commissioned at County Landfill
Frederick County is powered by the sun and leading the way on renewable energy! This week we commissioned a new solar array at the Reichs Ford Road Landfill that will generate enough renewable energy to supply nearly 20% of the county’s general electric usage.
We are using that electricity to power seven county-owned facilities. The coolest part is that our electric buses are being charged using solar energy from the array. That means the buses are running on 100 percent renewable energy! We are the only county in the region doing this.
The array is also providing power for Winchester Hall, the Frederick Senior Center, the landfill's scale house, and three of our public libraries: the C. Burr Artz Library, Urbana Regional Library, and Emmitsburg Library, which is also home to the Emmitsburg Senior Center and the Emmitsburg Town Offices.
With 7,776 panels sitting on nearly 14 acres, we expect the solar array to produce more than 3 ½ million kilowatt hours of electricity a year. For the next 20 years, we can access the renewable power at a fixed rate, saving the County between $248,000 and $500,000. TESLA Energy is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the array.
The project is a win-win-win for Frederick County! We are using a closed section of the landfill that can't be used for other projects. TESLA paid to construct the array. And taxpayers are saving money on the cost of energy.
This project ensures that Frederick County is poised for a bright future for generations to come!
Contact Me
Email: CountyExecutive@FrederickCountyMD.gov
Website: FrederickCountyMD.gov/Executive
Location: 12 E Church St, Frederick, MD, United States
Phone: 301-600-1100
Facebook: facebook.com/JanGardnerExec
Twitter: @JanGardnerExec