Solar panels built by Tesla cap Frederick County landfill
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) – Electric car maker Tesla is building a solar array on top of a Frederick County landfill.
The solar panels will generate up to 1.9 megawatts of power. That will be enough to power about 10 county buildings, about 20 percent of the county’s overall need.
Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner said the array will increase the county’s utilization of renewable energy. And she said the landfill, which is closed, is the perfect location because the land is generally unusable for other purposes.
County officials say construction of the solar array was preceded by three to four years of planning and permitting.
The county entered a 20-year purchase agreement for the electricity generated by the panels.