BP Solar Plant Expansion In Maryland
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.19.07
Solar production capacity is expanding at the BP Solar-owned Frederick MD, USA plant. Ground breaking has taken place on a "$97 million expansion project that will further bolster the facility's output of solar energy products...Already the largest fully integrated solar plant in North America, the plan is to nearly double the current casting and sizing capacity to approximately 150 MW and will create approximately 70 new jobs."
"Exactly nine months ago, the company announced it would invest $70 million in the project. That figure has now been increased to $97 million, which will allow for space to further enlarge its manufacturing capacity to 400+ MW in its casting, sizing, and wafering processes. Construction is slated for completion by the end of 2009."
BP Solar announced that it will implement LEED(TM) design components such as energy efficient lighting, cooling and heating, plus a roof garden and extensive water recycling measures. And, that it will "contribute $100,000 to the Maryland Solar Schools program. Administered by the Solar Schools Foundation, the program assists schools in the installation of solar electric systems, provides curriculum guidance, technical assistance, and can provide limited grants to help defray the high upfront cost of solar."
Via:: PR Newswire. See also our earlier post on BP Solar, here.
Just a note, this is in Frederick, MD, not Fredericksville. You can see it from I-70 west just before the MD 340 exit.
I am a resident of Chicago and Lake Michigan is my playground. Although I recognize BP's effort to reduce pollutants - I find it highly motivated by their political agenda. Read this please:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-pollute_15jul15,1,2304440.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
i used to support BP and the work that they have been doing. But i don't understand - if they have all this money to invest in solar (and don't forget petroleum) technology - then why are they still dumping toxic wasted into our lakes?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-pollute_15jul15,1,647384.story
======= author's response follows ===
Large corporations are not monolithic. Typically, each business unit runs its own operations and is directly accountable for things like permit applications, without direct involvement of top corporate executives. Only when public pressure elevates a permitting issue to national or regional political discourse does that happen, as a rule of thumb.
The concern with ammonia is that it is plant fertilizer, and most certainly will contribute to algae blooms, for example. Some will evaporate and the rest will be converted to plant life and so on. Its a matter of how much is too much for the Lake, especially for the southern basin.
Thirty years ago much research was done to address whether southern Lake MI was "nitrogen limited" or "phosphorous limited" with respect to what most drives eutrophication. One would hope that this was addressed in the permitting determination. If not it would be shameful.
The idea that one state out of the three that discharge directly to Lake MI can make a unilateral tradeoff for the 'smell of a paycheck"' was something you'd expect up to the late 1960s'.
By the 1970's, should an issue like this have arisen, USEPA Region V might have had a multi-state public hearing on this issue, with involvement of state and Federal Congressional reps. These days: unlikely. Unless, of course, a top Presidential candidate decides to inquire.
We just drove by the Maryland solar plant as it was being constructed, and boy, whatta sight! It's so nice to see a wall of solar panels shining gloriously in the sun! It's great to see oil companies make the switch to greener energies, for that is the wave of the future!