CUMBERLAND — Clearway Energy Group has closed on $174 million in construction financing and has begun construction on Dan’s Mountain, a 55 megawatt wind farm in western Allegany County, the company said.
Dan’s Mountain is the first new onshore wind farm to be constructed in Maryland in nearly 10 years and is expected to increase the state’s wind energy generating capacity by nearly 30%. The wind farm is a $180 million investment in Western Maryland and is anticipated to generate tens of millions in tax revenue for the local community throughout the project’s life, the company said in a news release. Part of the project will be constructed on former coal strip mining land.
“The Dan’s Mountain wind project represents an exciting opportunity to bring the economic, workforce, and low-cost energy opportunities of wind power to Western Maryland,” said Brooks Friedeman, head and managing director of Capital Markets at Clearway. “We’re thrilled to begin construction on a 21st-century infrastructure project that will support over 100 local union jobs and become one of the largest taxpayers in Allegany County.”
The Dan’s Mountain project is fully contracted under a long-term power purchase agreement with Maryland-based Constellation to deliver clean, low-cost power to the region.
Once completed, Dan’s Mountain will generate enough electricity to power nearly 24,400 homes.
“The Dan’s Mountain wind project aligns with our mission to be at the forefront of the nation’s climate crisis response and we’re proud to team up with Clearway to support the development of additional carbon-free generation in our home state of Maryland,” said Jim McHugh, chief commercial officer at Constellation. “We look forward to leveraging this added clean capacity to help our customers deliver on their sustainability and emissions reductions goals.”
Clearway also announced the launch of the Dan’s Mountain Community Benefit Fund, which will begin later this year when the project reaches commercial operations. The project’s annual fund will be available to local brick-and-mortar organizations through a grant application cycle.
The Community Benefit Fund models Clearway’s successful programs at its Black Rock and Pinnacle wind projects in West Virginia, which together have provided more than $400,000 to local community initiatives since 2011.
The project will be built under a project labor agreement, and approximately 15% of total worked hours will be fulfilled by apprentices. The project is expected to create over 100 union construction jobs in partnership with the Western Maryland Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO.
Construction is being led by White Construction, a MasTec Renewables company, and wind turbines will be supplied by GE Vernova.