Constellation Energy has been selected by the state of Maryland to develop a 15.9-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) project as part of the state's Generating Clean Horizons initiative. This installation will represent the bulk of a 17.1-MW, US $60 million solar facility that will be constructed, owned, operated and maintained by Constellation Energy on land leased from Mount St. Mary's University.

The system is expected to be completed by December 2012 and would be the largest solar photovoltaic installation in Maryland.

"Constellation Energy is pleased to be partnering with the state of Maryland on the Generating Clean Horizons initiative to develop new sources of clean power and stimulate the economy through the growth of the clean energy sector," said Mayo A. Shattuck III, chairman, president and CEO of Constellation Energy. "This large-scale solar facility will make a significant contribution to our shared goal of a cleaner energy future."

Electricity produced by the system will be purchased by the state of Maryland under a 20-year solar power purchase agreement. The system is expected to produce more than 21,000,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

The system will utilize thin-film PV panels and will be built on approximately 100 acres of university land. Under the agreement, Mount St. Mary's University will also purchase 1.2 MW of electricity from the system.

The Maryland Energy Administration, in partnership with the University System of Maryland and the Department of General Services approved the award of four renewable energy projects under the Generating Clean Horizons program, which was launched in February 2009 to spur the development of large-scale, commercial renewable energy projects.

Last week Constellation announced that it signed an agreement to develop a $140 million, 70-MW wind energy project in Garrett County, Maryland. In 2008, the company developed a 300-kilowatt solar system for the Maryland Environmental Service, the first of its kind for a Maryland state agency.