State Energy Grant Enable Maryland’s First Net-Zero Township

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jahmai Sharp-Moore | 443-694-3651

Baltimore, MD (October 20, 2016) – Construction has begun on the first Eastern Shore community scale wind turbine in Crisfield, MD.  Crisfield’s Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) is the location for the 302 foot tall American made wind turbine. The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has provided $1.1 million dollars for community wind grants to the Crisfield area. “MEA’s support of Crisfield’s community wind project highlights the Hogan Administration’s commitment to projects that save money, create jobs for Marylanders and help the environment. Such projects are a win for all involved,” said Dr. Mary Beth Tung, Director of the MEA.

The installation of this turbine will offset 100% of the town’s municipal power demand, making Crisfield one of the few municipalities in America to be energy neutral (or Net-Zero).  “The wind turbine will provide savings to the city while helping Maryland reduce air pollution, enhance reliability of wastewater treatment plants, and increase renewable energy,” said Tung.

Alpha Energy is working with the City of Crisfield and Bearing Construction to oversee the project. Crisfield’s WWTF is ideally suited for a community scale wind turbine, according to Alpha Energy’s President Marcellous Butler. Pre-industrialized sites like a WWTF are idea for renewable energy applications.  WWTFs are energy and property intense components of a town’s infrastructure that do not require the removal of any green space to make way for green energy.  Moreover, the City of Crisfield has secured a low cost and a renewable source of its energy for the next 25 years.

“The general public has been very supportive of our projects.  It’s human nature to be concerned about nature but this project is actually a matter of dollars and cents so its benefits are really two-fold. The excellent wind resource and pre-existing electrical infrastructure coupled with the open area and a high electrical demand of a WWTF make this site ideal,” Butler said.

The construction of this wind turbine brings new jobs to Maryland residents and plugs Crisfield into an infinite power source of clean energy. That knowledge and experience gained from the Crisfield turbine is critical for all future renewable energy projects. Construction, electrical interconnection tests and full wind turbine commissioning will be conducted over the next few weeks.

Maryland Energy Administration
On behalf of Governor Hogan the mission of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is to promote affordable, reliable and cleaner energy for the benefit of all Marylanders.   To achieve its mission, MEA advises the Governor, General Assembly on matters relating to energy policy.  MEA administers grant and loan programs to encourage clean energy technologies in all sectors of Maryland’s economy: Residential, Commercial, Agricultural, and Transportation. For more information about the Maryland Energy Administration, visit www.energy.maryland.gov .

About Alpha Energy

Alpha Energy is a leading developer of community-scale renewable energy. Alpha partners with local utilities, municipalities and landowners to develop mutually beneficial wind and/or solar energy projects. Alpha’s model integrates regional objectives and local concerns into a singular cohesive development process to bring clean energy and prosperity into the communities they serve.   Alpha Energy has delivered clean wind and solar energy to communities while maintaining an uncompromising commitment to long-term project quality. Alpha Energy is actively developing over 250 megawatts of clean, renewable energy in 4 states throughout the Mid-Atlantic, central United States, the Caribbean and Morocco.