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University purchases eco-friendly energy

With addition of three local wind and solar sources, officials hope to cut carbon emissions in half

By Claire Saravia

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Faced with the goal of cutting carbon emissions in half by 2020, the university purchased green energy from three local wind and solar sources that will soon provide part of the campus’ power for the next two decades.

The University System of Maryland partnered with the state Department of General Services last year to launch the “Generating Clean Horizons” initiative — a 20-year power purchase agreement launched in 2008 with several green energy producers in the area. Soon, the solar plants and two wind farms will be operational.

The system purchased 10 megawatts — or 20 percent — of the annual energy produced by Roth Rock Wind Farm in Garrett County, Md., which began operating in July. Additionally, officials bought all 55 megawatts of West Virginia’s Pinnacle Wind Farm, which will begin producing energy in December. The system also invested in a 15-megawatt solar project at Mount St. Mary’s University set to launch next year.

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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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>Deep Creek Lake gets 'incomplete' on health check

>A checkup performed by University of Maryland scientists finds Deep Creek Lake appears to be generally healthy. But researchers say there’s not enough monitoring done of the popular western Maryland tourist attraction to tell what shape it’s really in – or how much trouble it may be having with harmful aglal blooms, polluted runoff or other symptoms of the growth of vacationers and vacation homes at the mountain resort.

So a year after concerns were voiced about the 3,900-acre manmade lake as it experienced its largest recorded fish kill, the first-ever assessment of the lake comes back with an “incomplete” on its ecological report card.

Basic water quality in the lake seemed to be good, and bacteria levels did not appear to pose a health risk for swimming, according to the report by EcoCheck, a partnership between UM’s Center for Environmental Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The group was commissioned to produce a report card on the lake last year by Friends of Deep Creek Lake, a citizen’s watchdog group. It’s raised concerns about water quality being affected by polluted runoff from farms and vacation homes, leaking septic tanks and shoreline erosion. Adding to the anxiety was a prolonged fish kill last summer, in which an estimated 2,000 walleye, perch and a range of other species went belly up from late July into September.

Read more here.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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