A Montgomery County press release (2016-08-08) announced that the County will almost double its previous solar energy commitment of 6 megawatts with the addition of a new large-scale solar project in Laytonsville. The project, at the site of the former Oaks Landfill, will add 5 additional megawatts of solar power in addition to the 6 megawatts of county generation capacity already in place. From the press release:

With the addition of the solar project at Oaks Landfill, the County could generate more than 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. That is enough to power more than 1,300 homes or reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,000 metric tons, and is as environmentally beneficial as planting 236,000 trees or taking more than 1,930 cars off the road for a year. In addition, solar energy generation is expected to save the County up to $15 million in electric bills over the 20-year term of the contracts compared to current utility power costs.

“I am proud to announce that Montgomery County will greatly surpass our goal for clean energy generation on County sites,” said [Department of General Services] Director David Dise. “Our commitment to clean energy has allowed the County to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions while also creating jobs and reducing operating costs.”

Under a competitively awarded project, SolarCity will finance, build, and maintain the solar project for 20 years at no upfront cost to the County. The County will purchase the electricity generated at a fixed rate, which could save approximately $200,000 each year, benefiting both solid waste services ratepayers and taxpayers.  …

To track the progress of the County’s solar and advanced energy initiative, visit Office of Energy and Sustainability webpage.