BALTIMORE (June 29, 2022) — The National Aquarium and Constellation are proud to announce the installation of a solar tree on Pier 4 of the Baltimore Inner Harbor, highlighting and celebrating a shared commitment to supporting clean energy development. The solar tree is a large-scale sculpture, a functioning solar power collector and a symbol of energy stewardship. It is just one part of the organizations’ combined commitment to a net-zero greenhouse gas emission Aquarium. It is also one of the next elements of the National Aquarium’s waterfront campus.
On Tuesday, June 28, senior leadership from the National Aquarium and Constellation united for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the solar tree project. By day, the installation will actively harvest solar power through several solar panels on its branches, which will feed electricity into the National Aquarium. By night, the tree will have an illuminating presence with energy-efficient LED lighting. Guests can learn more about these features through an interpretive graphic panel near the tree.
“The National Aquarium continues to lead by example by setting aggressive sustainability goals and educating our community on the importance of environmental stewardship – both critical elements in addressing the climate crisis,” said Constellation President and CEO Joe Dominguez. “We’re proud of our long-sustained partnership and look forward to continued collaboration in the years ahead.”
In April, the National Aquarium announced its commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. The 13-year initiative will tackle the urgent issue of global climate change and is aligned with the Aquarium's Conservation Action Plan goal to combat climate change.
As part of its broader commitment to support renewable energy and practice environmental stewardship, the National Aquarium partnered with Constellation and OneEnergy Renewables in 2014 to develop a 4.3-megawatt solar project in Cambridge, Md. The Aquarium has also worked with Constellation to manage its utility costs and conserve energy by incorporating other best practices in sustainable operations, such as replacing fluorescent lightbulbs with high-efficiency LED bulbs throughout the Aquarium's campus.
“Our bold commitment to be net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 is achievable in part thanks to support from our long-standing partner, Constellation,” said National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli. “Efficiency upgrades and support for the development of the solar facility, which generates an amount of energy that is equivalent to 40% of our annual electricity usage, will help us reach this critical goal. We are proud to share this latest achievement, the solar tree, with the community and guests of the National Aquarium.”
The solar tree is located on Pier 4 on the Aquarium’s campus and is one of the next elements of the Aquarium’s waterfront campus project. The future waterfront campus will be situated in the waterway between Piers 3 and 4. It will soon come to life with plants, grasses and animal species native to the Chesapeake Bay. These floating wetlands will foster species’ recovery within the Inner Harbor while also supporting improvements to the waterway. The wetlands will not only beautify and enhance the surroundings; they will allow thousands of local students and millions of Inner Harbor visitors to experience the real Chesapeake Bay as part of their Baltimore experience, every day throughout the year. To learn more about the waterfront campus project, visit aqua.org. # # #
About Constellation
A Fortune 200 company headquartered in Baltimore, Constellation Energy Corporation (Nasdaq: CEG) is the nation’s largest producer of clean, emissions-free energy and a leading supplier of energy products and services to businesses, homes, community aggregations and public sector customers across the continental United States, including three fourths of Fortune 100 companies. With annual output that is nearly 90% carbon-free, our hydro, wind and solar facilities paired with the nation’s largest nuclear fleet have the generating capacity to power the equivalent of 16 million homes, providing about 10% of the nation’s clean energy. We are further accelerating the nation’s transition to a carbon-free future by helping our customers reach their sustainability goals, setting our own ambitious goal of achieving 100% carbon-free generation by 2040, and by investing in promising emerging technologies to eliminate carbon emissions across all sectors of the economy. Follow Constellation on LinkedIn and X.
About the National Aquarium
The National Aquarium is a nonprofit organization focused on changing the way humanity cares for our ocean planet. Through unparalleled exhibits, science-based education programs and hands-on field initiatives, we are creating a new community of hopeful conservationists, driven by our mission to inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. For more information on the National Aquarium, visit aqua.org.
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