2 Maryland Schools To Be Powered by Solar Energy

The Kent County, MD Board of Education, in partnership with the Kent County Commissioners, is building a 1,579 kW solar array to power two schools and a community center.

The ground mount system, located on 10 acres owned by the board, will produce approximately 2,100 megawatt hours per year an d will provide energy to Kent County High School, Worton Elementary School, and the Kent County Community Center.

The system, which will be installed by Standard Solar, is being financed through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Washington Gas Energy Services (WGES). As part of the agreement, WGES will pay the installation costs and will be the owner and operator of the system. For their part, Kent County and the Board of Education have agreed to purchase the power generated by the array for the life of the contract.

"The Kent County Commissioners are excited to partner with the Board of Education to bring a major source of clean, renewable energy to Kent County," said Wayne Morris, director of Public Works, Kent County. "This project will provide financial savings and additional energy security to the County and Board of Education, and will also provide a great educational component to the schools and students of Kent County. This is the first of what we hope to be many solar sites to service county-owned facilities and help us contain costs and improve our local environment."
 
Construction of the system will begin this month and is expected to be completed in spring of 2012, according to information released by WGES.

More information about Kent County Public Schools is available at kent.k12.md.us. Visit wges.com for more information on Washington Gas Energy Services.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    Nonprofit LawZero to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • tutor and student working together at a laptop

    You've Paid for Tutoring. Here's How to Make Sure It Works.

    As districts and states nationwide invest in tutoring, it remains one of the best tools in our educational toolkit, yielding positive impacts on student learning at scale. But to maximize return on investment, both financially and academically, we must focus on improving implementation.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.