Competitive Power Ventures, a Silver Spring-based solar energy partnership operating in nine states, has received approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission to construct a solar farm atop the abandoned Vindex-Arch Coal mine near Kitzmiller in Garrett County. The 200 MWdc Backbone Solar Farm will cover 1,170 acres of land on the coal mining site, and will generate enough electricity to power 30,000 Maryland homes.
While it will not provide the long-term job numbers the mine did while operating, the solar farm project will create 150 temporary construction jobs. It will also generate up to $2.7 million in annual tax revenue for Garrett County, a significant boost in a region that has been losing many industrial jobs. In addition, CPV is providing support for the Deep Creek Watershed Foundation.
Construction of the Backbone solar farm is expected to commence as soon as permits are issued this year. “This project provides an array of economic and environmental benefits to the region and offers a host of opportunities for local businesses to benefit,” Jennifer Walsh, Executive Director of The Greater Cumberland Committee, said in a statement Monday. CPV is headquartered in the Metro Plaza building at 8403 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring.
Solar farm rendering courtesy CPV
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