Maryland denies permits for Origis Energy’s 32.5MW PV project

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The solar plant would have powered 49% of Georgetown’s electricity load for campus operations. Image: John Weiss / Flickr

Maryland’s Department of the Environment (MDE) has denied a wetlands and waterways permit to Origis Energy’s 32.5MW PV project in La Plata, Charles County, Maryland.

The project drew criticism for its potential effects on the local ecosystem, with the Baltimore Sun reporting that more than 97 hectares of forest would have to be cleared in order to make room for the new installation. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Back in 2018, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved the project, but brushback from environmental activists and local residents prompted another review by Maryland environment officials. 

Maryland’s Department of the Environment also denied a permit for another Origis Energy project, the proposed 27.5MW Ripley Road solar installation.

Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles said in a statement announcing the denial of the permit: “While Maryland strongly supports the increased use of clean and renewable energy sources, these two proposed projects would harm the nearby high-quality stream in Charles County and threaten our continued restoration progress in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This is an unacceptable trade-off for the environmental benefits of clean energy. Maryland will continue to be a leader on clean and renewable energy that makes sense for our local communities and environment.”

The 32.5MW Shugart Valley project was denied its permit after the MDE determined that “the applicant failed to document and demonstrate that a serious effort was made to avoid, minimize and mitigate or otherwise offset the effects on water quality. Additionally, MDE does not consider the economic or social benefits of the proposed project to justify any decrease in water quality.”

The Shugart Valley project was originally slated to be completed this summer, with the installation expected to generate approximately 75,000 MWh of power annually and power 49% of Georgetown’s electricity load for campus operations located in Washington, D.C. It would have been comprised of 105,000 solar panels and would have created 200 jobs during its construction phase. 

21 May 2024
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 21-22 May 2024, will be our third PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2025 and beyond.
8 October 2024
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 8-9 October 2024 is our second PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The event in 2023 was a sell out success and 2024 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
April 10, 2024
Dallas, Texas USA
Solar Media Events
April 17, 2024
Lisbon, Portugal
Solar Media Events
May 1, 2024
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
May 21, 2024
Napa, USA