Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) Director Malcolm Woolf joined representatives from Gestamp Wind and Delmarva Power at the recent dedication ceremony for the Roth Rock Wind Energy Farm on Backbone Mountain in Garrett County.
The wind farm will convert wind to energy, creating an estimated 50 megawatts of electricity per year, providing enough power for all of the residences in Garrett County. Delmarva Power purchased 80 percent of the power generated by the wind farm, and the remaining 20 percent support the University System of Maryland and the Maryland Department of General Services.
"To create jobs, a modern economy requires modern investments. In Maryland, we’ve made wind energy a priority because it provides clean, much needed electricity, creates jobs, and locks in affordable power for years to come," said Director Woolf. "We’ve set some of the most aggressive goals in the country for reducing our energy consumption, and increasing our use of renewable energy. Wind energy will diversify our energy portfolio and make us a leader in renewable energy generation and policy."
The Gestamp Wind project is part of MEA’s Generating Clean Horizons program in which the State and University System of Maryland committed to purchase 78 megawatts of energy produced from two wind farms and one solar installation over 20 years. The program, which powers 16 percent of the State’s own load through renewable sources, was also recently recognized by Harvard University as one of the top 25 innovations in American government. The Roth Rock Wind Energy Farm, which involved 150 local construction jobs, consists of 20 turbines of 2.5 megawatts each with a total capacity of 50 megawatts.