HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Maryland officials announced plans Tuesday to fill nearly a quarter of the government's annual electricity needs with power supplied by clean energy projects from the Delaware coast to the Appalachian ridge tops.
The state will sign 20-year purchase agreements with four wind and solar developers, demonstrating Maryland's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 25 percent by 2020, Gov. Martin O'Malley said.
"With the combined resources of strategic public and private partnerships, we will continue to bring more green jobs to our communities, use public resources more efficiently and lead by example for other states," O'Malley said in a statement.
Maryland Energy Administration Director Malcolm Woolf said the contracts will cover 23 percent of the electricity used annually by state agencies and institutions, including the University System of Maryland.
Woolf wouldn't discuss the dollar value of the contracts, since they haven't been signed. He said the cost will likely be in line with what the state would pay for electricity produced largely from coal-fired generators.
"Depending on how fast fossil fuel commodity prices go up, it may even save money for the state," Woolf said.
He said the state will buy all the electricity generated by a 55-megawatt wind farm planned near Keyser, W.Va., by US Wind Force LLC of Greensburg, Pa. The 23-turbine project is awaiting approval by the West Virginia Public Service Commission.
Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jXm0A_BAXwFFjKxSYiQVIAat3tNwD9CFDAEG0Want to help with Global-Warming? Please visit http://www.whiteearth.org
Please become a fan of the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/WhiteEarthorg/119367692642 and http://www.facebook.com/pages/WhiteEarth/165767310764
Become a friend on Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/christopherbeau
Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/christopherbeau
Become a follower of this blog
When you buy art on http://www.artsymphony.com 100% of your investment goes to sponsor WhiteEarth
No comments:
Post a Comment