Nearly 100 acres of agriculture land slated for community solar development in Maryland

A fifth group photo voltaic venture has entered Harford County’s improvement pipeline and is about so as to add practically 40 acres to the roughly 61 acres already devoted to group photo voltaic producing programs in Harford County.

Per state lawthese programs permit property homeowners to construct solar power systems on their land so long as the property is concurrently getting used for farming exercise acknowledged by the Division of Agriculture.

The Bonneville Photo voltaic Venture is the most recent to be launched to Harford County and goals to construct a 5-megawatt system on 36.8 acres of a 206.41-acre parcel in Jarrettsville close to Jarrettsville and Federal Hill roads.

Plans have been launched this month and can go earlier than the county’s Improvement Advisory Committee on Wednesday at 9 a.m. within the Harford County Administration Constructing at 220 S. Foremost St. in Bel Air. The general public is invited to take care of be taught extra concerning the venture and ask builders questions.

Harford County allowed group photo voltaic initiatives in 2021, when a invoice handed the County Council unanimously. The laws allowed group photo voltaic initiatives on land zoned for residences or enterprise—not agriculture.

A workgroup was created by Harford County to help within the implementation of photo voltaic initiatives on the county’s agricultural land, however in 2023, the Maryland Common Meeting handed laws turning a seven-year group photo voltaic pilot program that enables solar panels on farms right into a everlasting program.

The 2015 group photo voltaic pilot program capped power produced by the initiatives at about 418 megawatts statewide. The 2023 laws eliminated the cap and allowed for limitless statewide group solar energy technology.

As soon as all 5 of Harford’s group photo voltaic initiatives are full, the county shall be producing 13 megawatts of group photo voltaic power.

Per state legislation, group photo voltaic programs can’t exceed 5 megawatts every, and not less than 40% of the power output should serve low- to moderate-income subscribers.

Harford’s initiatives embrace:

• Aberdeen Photo voltaic: 18.63-acre venture on a 213-acre property south of Interstate 95 and Hiob Lane. This venture has obtained website plan approval.
• Churchville Photo voltaic: 11-acre venture on a 54.55-acre property south of Churchville Street and east of Calvary Street. New website plans are pending.
• Magnolia Street Photo voltaic Panel Farm: 22.30-acre venture on the east aspect of Magnolia Street and south of Trimble Street. This venture has obtained website plan approval.
• Miller Chemical 2 MW AC Photo voltaic Venture: 9-acre venture on a 34-acre property on the northwest aspect of Whiteford Street and southeast aspect of Pylesville Street. New website plans are pending.

Every system is related to the state’s electrical distribution grid. Electrical firms then use the power generated to offset purchases from wholesale electrical energy suppliers—offering earnings to the property homeowners and permitting power suppliers to scale back shopper prices.

Baltimore Fuel and Electrical Co. prospects can take part in group photo voltaic by buying power from the venture proprietor. As soon as shoppers subscribe, they may obtain a credit score on their BGE payments for the quantity of photo voltaic power they use.

Maryland is considered one of 19 states together with Washington, D.C., to permit group photo voltaic initiatives. At the moment, New York leads the nation in group photo voltaic with 1,941 megawatts in operation.

Photo voltaic initiatives within the state have been a subject of controversy, with initiatives in Carroll County receiving pushback from native leaders and residents. In 2023, Carroll County commissioners adopted an ordinance that prohibits photo voltaic producing services on farmland. The ordinance permits for the development of photo voltaic services on land zoned for business and industrial use.

To fight photo voltaic initiatives, Harford County preserved over 1,100 acres of agricultural land in November via the county’s agricultural preservation program.

Aiming to protect 75,000 acres by 2040, this system permits the county to pay property homeowners for his or her land. All improvement rights of the property are then eradicated to make sure it might probably solely be used for agricultural functions.

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