WHITE MARSH, Md. -

On Tuesday, General Motors broke ground for a new electric motor plant, which it said will be the first plant dedicated to making the critical components for vehicle electrification by a major U.S. automaker.

The plant scheduled to open in 2013, is an addition to GM’s Baltimore Operations Complex, which houses the company’s two-mode hybrid and heavy-duty transmission operations. The electric motor plant is a result from two investments announced last year totaling $269.5 million.

“We believe the future of sustainable transportation is electrically driven vehicles and this facility will help us maintain a leadership position within this category,” said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of energy, environment and safety policy.

“It’s fitting that green ‘motors of the future’ are being built at a facility well recognized for ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental impact,” he added.

Campus to be Powered in Part by a Solar Array

A plan is also under way to create a vast solar panel system to help power the existing two-mode hybrid and heavy duty transmission building.

The campus will be powered in part by a 1.23-megawatt rooftop solar array, expected to generate nine percent of its annual energy consumption and save approximately $330,000 during the life of the project.

Constellation Energy, a supplier of power, natural gas and energy products and services, will build, own and maintain the solar power system, and GM will purchase all of the electricity generated by the solar panels under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

“By harnessing solar energy from this array, GM will offset up to 1,103 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the air per year — equivalent to the emissions from 216 passenger vehicles,” said Robinson.

Constellation Energy’s first solar array for GM was a 951-kilowatt system at its Fontana, Calif., Service and Parts Operations warehouse.

“Solar as a power-generation source is an attractive option for GM and other large-scale manufacturers to achieve environmental goals and control electricity costs,” said Michael Smith, senior vice president of green initiatives for Constellation Energy’s retail business. 

GM’s Baltimore Operations earned zero-landfill status in 2007 and won the Maryland Green Registry Leadership Award just last year.

“Our state is one of discovery and innovation, where traditional manufacturers like GM embrace the new technologies that move our companies, our commerce and our citizens forward,” Maryland Gov. Martin  O’Malley said.

Seperately, the GM Foundation and Baltimore Operations recently announced they will donate $20,000 to the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity, Maryland Food Bank and the Wildlife Habitat Council.

The donations are part of the Foundation’s Plant City Grants which will award a total of $1 million nationally to local communities with GM facilities.