Constellation Energy, the parent company of Baltimore Gas and Electric, has dedicated a new installation of wind turbines in Western Maryland. Constellation launched the project in 2010 upon acquiring wind power start-up Criterion Wind.
The 70-megawatt Criterion Wind Project consists of 28 wind turbines positioned through an eight-mile stretch along Backbone Mountain in Garrett County. This is Maryland's first major wind power generation facility. The new facility is expected to produce enough electricity to fulfill the needs of 23,000 households.
The energy produced by the Criterion Wind Project facility will be sold to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, which entered into a 20-year agreement to purchase the power. Old Dominion is a non-profit wholesale power provider that serves public electric cooperatives in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
Constellation Energy is continuing to expand its green energy profile. A participant in Maryland's Generating Clean Horizons initiative, Constellation is working toward developing a 17.4 megawatt solar-based power generation installation. The project is slated to be developed on land that will be leased from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg. The finished installation will be the largest solar photovoltaic power system in Maryland.
Upon completion, the system is expected to produce more than 22 million kilowatt hours of emissions-free electricity per year.
Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Kevin Thornton, Constellation Energy