PARKTON, MD—Baltimore County has officially celebrated the completion of its first major ground-mounted solar project, transforming the 213-acre closed Parkton Landfill into a clean energy production site. The initiative marks a significant step in the County government’s sustainability plan, promising to slash long-term electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions.

County Executive Kathy Klausmeier highlighted the dual benefits of the project. “This project shows how Baltimore County can turn yesterday’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities,” Klausmeier stated. “We are cutting costs for taxpayers and making investments that benefit our communities for decades.”

Cost Savings and Carbon Reduction

The massive seven-megawatt system, featuring 15,000 ballasted solar panels, is expected to generate 8,220,710 kilowatt-hours of electricity in its first year. This clean power will account for approximately 11 percent of the County government’s annual electricity consumption.

The financial benefits are locked in through a 25-year Power-Purchase Agreement (PPA) with TotalEnergies, the system’s owner and operator. This agreement secures a reduced electricity rate of 14-cents per kilowatt hour for the County, insulating taxpayers from future escalating energy costs.

The environmental impact is equally significant. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, the solar generation is expected to reduce the equivalent GHG emissions of:

• Consuming 621,480 gallons of gasoline.
• The electricity usage of 1,151 homes for one year.
• 14,064,876 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered vehicle.

Repurposing Brownfield Land

The project demonstrates a successful strategy of repurposing unproductive land. Greg Strella, Baltimore County’s Chief Sustainability Officer, noted the importance of the investment. “Adding another large source of solar electricity to power our County’s facilities reflects our community’s values of making smart investments that take care of the health of our community and environment,” said Strella.

Eric Potts, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Distributed Generation USA, echoed this sentiment. “This installation is a powerful example of transforming underutilized assets into productive resources, further demonstrating how it is possible to achieve both significant cost savings and ambitious sustainability goals for the County,” he said.

Looking ahead, the County projects an even greater shift toward renewable energy. Upon the anticipated completion of a second ground-mounted solar project at the Hernwood Landfill by 2028, the County expects to generate clean power equivalent to 55% of its total electricity production.

Photo via Pixabay

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