Staff and Wire Reports
Electric power generation development firm Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) intends to construct and operate the 200 MW Backbone Solar Farm (CPV Backbone) in western Maryland’s Garrett County.
The firm has received a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the project from the Maryland Public Service Commission. With this certificate, CPV can construct the solar farm on former Vindex/Arch Coal mining sites located north of Kitzmiller town.
CPV Backbone Solar represents about $210 to $290 million private infrastructure investment in the region and will provide more than 150 jobs over the 18-month construction period.
Construction is expected to start later this year. The type of solar panels will be single-axis trackers withh 500+ watts per module, according to CPV.
The Backbone Solar Farm will generate emission-free electricity, sufficient to power approximately 30,000 average homes in Maryland. The project will help the state meet its clean energy targets of 14.5% solar energy by 2028 and 50% renewable energy by 2030.
Chairman of the Garrett County Board of Commissioners, Paul Edwards, said, “As Garrett County works to recover from the impact of the pandemic and other economic stress, state approval of this significant energy project is a very timely development.”
CPV is an independent power producer and project developer with numerous gas-fired power plants and renewable solar and wind farms across the U.S.
