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Criterion Wind Project
The Criterion Wind Project is a wind farm located on Backbone Mountain east of Oakland, Maryland, United States. The project has a rated capacity of 70 MW and uses 28 Liberty Wind Turbines manufactured by Clipper Windpower. Each of the wind turbines is about 415 feet tall. The Criterion Wind Project is owned by Criterion Power Partners, LLC, which is a subisiary of Exelon, and interconnected with the transmission system of the Potomac Edison Company (a subsidiary of FirstEnergy). Electricity and renewable energy credits from the project are sold to the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative under a 20-year supply contract. History The Criterion Wind Project was originally proposed in 2002 by Clipper Windpower as a 101 MW project consisting of 67 1.8 MW. On March 26, 2003, the Maryland Public Service Commission issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing the construction of the wind farm. Opponents of the project filed a series of lawsuits which delayed construc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maryland Public Service Commission
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent administrative agency within the Government of Maryland, state government which regulates Public utility, public utilities and certain taxi cab and other passenger services in Maryland. Similar to other state public utilities commissions, the Maryland PSC regulates and sets Tariff (other), tariff rates for natural gas, electricity distribution, telephone, local telephone, Drinking water, water, and Sewage treatment, sewage disposal companies. The PSC also sets the tariff rates for Maritime pilot, pilot services for vessels and privately owned toll bridges, approves the construction of Power station, electric generating plants and overhead Electric power transmission, transmission lines with a voltage above 69 kV, and licenses retail natural gas and electricity suppliers. The PSC offices are located in Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore in the William Donald Schaefer Building. Members of the Public Service Commission ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wind Farms In Maryland
Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few hours, to global winds resulting from the difference in absorption of solar energy between the climate zones on Earth. The two main causes of large-scale atmospheric circulation are the differential heating between the equator and the poles, and the rotation of the planet (Coriolis effect). Within the tropics and subtropics, thermal low circulations over terrain and high plateaus can drive monsoon circulations. In coastal areas the sea breeze/land breeze cycle can define local winds; in areas that have variable terrain, mountain and valley breezes can prevail. Winds are commonly classified by their spatial scale, their speed and direction, the forces that cause them, the regions in which they occur, and their effect. Winds have various aspe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Environmental Impact Of Wind Power
The environmental impact of electricity generation from wind power is minor when compared to that of fossil fuel power. Wind turbines have some of the lowest global warming potential per unit of electricity generated: far less greenhouse gas is emitted than for the average unit of electricity, so wind power helps limit climate change. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. The energy consumed to manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few months. Onshore (on-land) wind farms can have a significant visual impact and impact on the landscape. Due to a very low surface power density and spacing requirements, wind farms typically need to be spread over more land than other power stations. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Habitat Conservation Plan
A Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) is a required part of an application for an Incidental Take Permit, a permit issued under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) to private entities undertaking projects that might result in the destruction of an endangered or threatened species. It is a planning document that ensures that the anticipated take of a listed species will be minimized or mitigated by conserving the habitat upon which the species depend, thereby contributing to the recovery of the species as a whole. Background The importance of preserving rare species was legally recognized in 1973 when the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into federal law. The purpose of the ESA is not only to protect species that have been listed as threatened or endangered, but also to conserve the ecosystems upon which those species depend. In aiming to protect species in danger of becoming extinct, the ESA prohibits actions that have the potential to result in a "taking" of any ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indiana Bat
The Indiana bat (''Myotis sodalis'') is a medium-sized mouse-eared bat native to North America. It lives primarily in Southern and Midwestern U.S. states and is listed as an endangered species. The Indiana bat is grey, black, or chestnut in color and is 1.2–2.0 in long and weighs 4.5–9.5 g (0.16–0.34 oz). It is similar in appearance to the more common little brown bat, but is distinguished by its feet size, toe hair length, pink lips, and a keel on the calcar. Indiana bats live in hardwood and hardwood-pine forests. It is common in old-growth forest and in agricultural land, mainly in forest, crop fields, and grasslands. As an insectivore, the bat eats both terrestrial and aquatic flying insects, such as moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and midges. The Indiana bat is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It has had serious population decline, estimated to be more than 50% over the past 10 years, based on direct observation and a declin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States Fish And Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people." Among the responsibilities of the USFWS are enforcing federal wildlife laws; protecting endangered species; managing migratory birds; restoring nationally significant fisheries; conserving and restoring wildlife habitats, such as wetlands; helping foreign governments in international conservation efforts; and distributing money to fish and wildlife agencies of U.S. states through the Wildlife Sport Fish and Restoration Program. The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitats are on U.S. state, state or private land not controlled by the United States government. Therefore, the USFWS works closely with private g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives. Members of both houses serve four-year terms. Each house elects its own officers, judges the qualifications and election of its own members, establishes rules for the conduct of its business, and may punish or expel its own members. The General Assembly meets each year for 90 days to act on more than 2,300 bills including the state's annual budget, which it must pass before adjourning ''sine die''. The General Assembly's 441st session convened on January 9, 2020. History The forerunner of the Maryland General Assembly was the colonial institution, an Assembly of Free Marylanders (and also Council of Maryland). Maryland's foundational charter created a state ruled by the ''Pala ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) is an electric generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia. ODEC provides wholesale power to its 11 member electric cooperatives in the states of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware in the United States. ODEC generates its electricity from coal, fuel oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy. On February 23, 2018, ODEC named Marcus Harris as the organization's next president and CEO. Prior to joining ODEC, he served as executive vice president and CEO of Kansas Electric Power Cooperative. About ODEC is an electric generation and transmission cooperative that provides wholesale power to its 11 member electric cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Through these member cooperatives, ODEC provided over 11 million megawatt hours of power to 1.4 million people in 2008. ODEC's member cooperatives primarily distribute power to rural, suburban, and recreation areas. ODEC's generating facilities make use of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wind Farm
A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used Wind power, to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an extensive area. Wind farms can be either onshore or offshore. Many of the largest operational onshore wind farms are located in China, India, and the United States. For example, the List of onshore wind farms, largest wind farm in the world, Gansu Wind Farm in China had a capacity of over 6,000 megawatt, MW by 2012,Watts, Jonathan & Huang, CecilyWinds Of Change Blow Through China As Spending On Renewable Energy Soars ''The Guardian'', 19 March 2012, revised on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012. with a goal of 20,000 MWFahey, JonathanIn Pictures: The World's Biggest Green Energy Projects ''Forbes'', 9 January 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2019. by 2020.Kanter, DougGansu Wind Farm ''Forbes''. Retrieved 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Renewable Energy Credit
A Renewable energy credit (REC) is a certificate corresponding to the environmental attributes of energy produced from renewable sources such as wind or solar. RECs were created as a means to track progress towards and compliance with states' Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), meant to support a cleaner generation mix. RECs should not be confused with the tax credits that renewable energy projects are eligible to receive. In the United States, as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package, renewable Energy Rebate Programs are in place. Currently, solar is eligible for 26%federal tax credit A tax credit is a tax incentive which allows certain taxpayers to subtract the amount of the credit they have accrued from the total they owe the state. It may also be a credit granted in recognition of taxes already paid or a form of state "disc .... Renewable Energy Credit is one of two main outputs or benefits from generation of new power from renewable sources. Renewable power generat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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