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A Democrat running for the House of Delegates in Montgomery County's District 16 has proposed a plan to bring "green" energy to government buildings and schools while generating cash for the state.

Bethesda resident Scott Goldberg, 28, who is vying for one of three of the district's delegate seats with a dozen other Democrats, said he wants to use solar panels to generate revenue by selling power unused by government buildings back to electric companies.

A release from Goldberg's campaign estimates state electric costs could drop 20 percent to 25 percent as soon as the panels were to begin producing energy.

It is not known how much the program would cost or which buildings would be best suited for the panels, Goldberg said.

However, the wide roofs of many school buildings likely would be suitable, he said.

State Sen. Robert J. Garagiola (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown said similar programs already exist in Maryland, and the use of solar energy has swelled in recent years.

"It's my understanding that [solar energy on public buildings is] being done," said Garagiola, who has authored legislation to create solar grant programs. "I know we're doing that at the Salisbury [University] campus. We do it on schools in Montgomery County today."

Goldberg's plan calls for leveraging $50 million from the state's rainy day fund, typically used to make up for budget deficits, as collateral to earn low-interest loans to purchase panels.

It also would be possible to contract with private companies to pay for the projects, allowing them to be repaid by the government while receiving solar energy tax credits, Goldberg said.

Tying up money from the state's more than $600 million rainy day fund might not be possible if Maryland's favorable bond rating is to be maintained, Garagiola said.

Goldberg said he was inspired to examine clean-energy alternatives following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year.

"I'd rather hire Maryland companies to hire Marylanders and use the sun to power our communities," Goldberg said in a news release from his campaign.

sbreitenbach@gazette.net