BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md., Oct. 22, 2025 - TotalEnergies has completed a 7-megawatt solar installation on the 213-acre closed Parkton Landfill in Baltimore County, Maryland, converting a long-dormant waste site into a productive clean energy asset and marking a significant step in the county's efforts to decarbonize its government operations. The project, Baltimore County's first large-scale ground-mounted solar array, was celebrated by county officials on October 9 and represents a closely watched model for repurposing closed landfills across the United States.
The 7-MW system comprises four large-scale arrays and approximately 15,000 ballasted, ground-mounted photovoltaic panels. In its first year of operation, the installation is projected to generate 8,220,710 kilowatt-hours of electricity - enough to meet roughly 11 percent of the Baltimore County government's annual electricity consumption. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, that output translates to avoiding the equivalent emissions of 621,480 gallons of gasoline consumed, or the annual electricity use of 1,151 homes, or 14,064,876 miles driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle.
"This project shows how Baltimore County can turn yesterday's challenges into tomorrow's opportunities," said County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. "We are cutting costs for taxpayers and making investments that benefit our communities for decades."
Engineering Around the Landfill's Legacy
Installing solar power on a capped landfill has unique engineering challenges to consider, particularly in respect of the site's impermeable barrier, placed several feet below the surface of the landfill site. Normal racking systems which go into the soil would not be applicable. TotalEnergies constructed a specialized ballasted ground-mount system with the use of heavy concrete blocks to support the metal racking system without going into the protective liner and thereby preserving the integrity of the closed landfill. The project will be utilizing SunPower solar panels, SMA inverters, and TerraSmart racking technology, with Power Factor acting as the prime contractor for construction.
The financial framework is also vital for the project's success. According to the power purchase agreement (PPA), TotalEnergies is developing, owning, and managing the project while the electricity produced will be bought by Baltimore County. The power purchase agreement guarantees low electricity prices for 25 years with a possibility of prolongation for up to 33 years, thus protecting the county from fluctuations in electricity prices.
A Broader Transition Context
The Parkton project is launched when Maryland enhances its renewable energy obligations. Following the state's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, the target for the year 2025 set the requirement to use up to 35 percent of electrical energy from Tier 1 sources including 7 percent from solar. Baltimore County establishes even higher standards- the county's government has set the goal of attaining 100 percent of energy supply from renewable sources by the year 2026 as stated in the special order issued in 2021 but this independent report shows that this target is not likely to be achieved. Regardless, the Parkton facility has shown the progress towards this goal. "To implement another big solar energy project to power the county reflects our commitment of thinking how to invest wisely for the benefit of the community and the environment," added Greg Strella- the Chief Officer for sustainability of Baltimore County.
The project also mirrors a national trend. Presently, there are about 2.4 to 2.5 gigawatts of capacity among all landfill solar operations in the United States, and since there are about 10,000 closed landfills, it has been estimated that this capacity will increase by at least 25 times. In the last five years alone, the number of U.S. landfill solar projects has increased by 80 percent. The county of Baltimore is already making preparations for its next landfill solar project - the Hernwood Landfill, which is expected to start running by 2028. After Hernwood becomes operational, the county will enjoy about 55 percent of its electricity generation coming from renewable sources.
The Parkton project of TotalEnergies brings the business' advanced technologies in distributed energy generation to the next phase. The company has successfully carried out 41 projects of distributed power generation in the North American market with a total capacity of 140 megawatts in addition to its large-scale projects. The Parkton project will become a case in point for the public-private partnership in transforming polluted territories into systems producing energy sustainably and a guideline for other regions that want to cut down energy costs and emissions. Several regions now struggle with the problem of decommissioned landfills and energy prices that are on the rise, and Parkton proves that deserted and forgotten sites are not always the best solution.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Its distributed generation business develops, owns, and operates solar projects for commercial, industrial, and public-sector customers across the United States.
