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Montgomery County Pushes To Go Green

March 26, 2010
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Workers install solar panels at the Rockville Ice Arena. Project managers with Standard Solar, Inc. say the 2,600 panels will be the largest roof-mounted solar system in the state.
Standard Solar, Inc.
Workers install solar panels at the Rockville Ice Arena. Project managers with Standard Solar, Inc. say the 2,600 panels will be the largest roof-mounted solar system in the state.

By Natalie Neumann

A task force in Maryland's Montgomery County is pushing for the area to be more green. One building in Rockville is on it's way to satisfying that recommendation.

A group of workers are sawing and filing pipes for a solar panel system at the Rockville Ice Arena. Project managers expect that later this spring, 2,600 solar panels will be able to produce a third of the arena's electricity needs.

Dick Wegman, chairman of the county's Green Economy Task Force, says that's electricity that's not provided by fossil fuels.

"That's exactly the sort of thing we hope can happen," says Wegman.

The Task Force studied ways the county can foster green business and become more environmentally friendly. County Executive Isiah Leggett says the recommendations will help the county create new sustainability policies.

"We are proceeding on a bold new strategy that will elevate Montgomery County and the future in terms of green technology and investment," says Leggett.

Leggett says he also hopes the environmental push will help boost employment.

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