Senators Cardin, Van Hollen Present Check to County Executive Fitzwater
FREDERICK, Md. –U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen presented Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater with a $1.275 million check today at Winchester Hall. The funds will be used to build a microgrid at the Prospect Center at 585 Himes Avenue in Frederick. The electrical generation system will provide backup power. Once built, the microgrid will be the first in Maryland to support a 9-1-1 call center and an emergency operations center.
“With the microgrid, we can continue to provide critical services to the community, even during an extreme hazardous event with grid failure,” County Executive Fitzwater said. “I am extremely grateful to Senator Cardin and Senator Van Hollen for their support for this important clean-energy project in a neighborhood that has been historically underserved.”
“When disaster strikes, our brave first responders are needed more than ever. We fought for this direct federal investment in renewable and dependable energy for Frederick County’s emergency services so they can power through whatever comes their way – and so residents can always count on them to answer the call,” Senator Van Hollen said.
The Prospect Center is currently home to the Department of Facility Maintenance and the Office of Construction Inspection. More agencies and services will move to the center in the next two to three years, creating a hub of resources for community residents. Solar panels will be installed on the roof. They will be able to make close to 2 megawatts of electrical capacity, which will be stored in batteries. If power goes out in the area, the 9-1-1 center and the Emergency Operations Center would be powered by the solar array and battery storage connected to the microgrid. In addition, the public could use part of the Prospect Center as a Resiliency Hub, where they can access heat or air-conditioning and plug in medical equipment during power outages.
Senators Cardin and Van Hollen requested and secured this Congressionally Directed Spending through the Fiscal Year 2024 funding legislation for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The microgrid will save Frederick County money on utility bills and make the Prospect Center less vulnerable to power outages. The County expects to break ground on the project next year.
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