Montgomery County’s Free ‘Go Electric’ Event Will Showcase the ‘Future of Electric Power’ on Saturday, March 19, at Montgomery College in Rockville

For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 17, 2022

Montgomery County is hosting its first ever free “Go Electric” event from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, at Montgomery College in Rockville. Go Electric will highlight the many ways people can use electric power at home, work and while traveling.

The outdoor event will showcase the benefits of electric cars, battery-powered yard equipment, solar power, alternative transportation and ways to save money and protect the environment using less energy.  

Montgomery College’s official address is 51 Mannakee St. in Rockville. However, if event attendees enter the campus via the North Campus Drive entrance from Route 355, they easily will be directed to the event. Event goers are encouraged to use Ride On bus service, e-bikes and other forms of alternative transportation to get to Go Electric. The campus also offers free parking.

“Reaching our County’s zero-emissions goals is an all-hands-on-deck effort with all of us working together to reduce emissions and transition to clean energy,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Our Climate Action Plan goals—to reach an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2027 and a 100 percent reduction by 2035—are among the most ambitious in the country. This will take work on the County's part and among our residents and businesses. To address our climate emergency, we all need to step in and act.”

Go Electric will feature information and exhibits that will interest homeowners, HOA members, building managers, landscapers, fleet managers and commuters.

“We are proud to host the County’s first Go Electric event to help people understand how they can play a role in reducing their carbon footprint,” said Department of Environmental Protection Acting Director Adriana Hochberg. “Each of us can take action to reduce emissions, whether it is by driving electric vehicles, switching to energy efficient LED lighting, converting to electric appliances or walking and biking more, we can all do our part in reducing the impacts of climate change.”

Go Electric will be a family event with opportunities to tour an electric Ride-on bus and learn about plant-based food from a local vendor. There also will be information on green financing, demonstrations of outdoor battery yard equipment and ways to save on energy bills.

“Montgomery County is making significant advancements toward our Climate Goals,” said David Dise, the director the Department of General Services. “This includes designing and retrofitting our buildings to net zero standards, deploying public electric vehicles charging at County facilities and building resilient infrastructure to support the electrification of our fleet of buses and vehicles.”

At the event, Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection and PEPCO will provide opportunities for recycling of household batteries, earning rebates on electric leaf blowers and exchanging free LED bulbs for old CFL or incandescent bulbs.

“In Montgomery County, transportation makes up for 42 percent of our County’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Increasing travel alternatives and investing in zero-emission buses will allow us to move more people in fewer vehicles, lessening the environmental impacts caused by single-occupancy vehicles. We are leading by example and have already begun the transition to meet our goal of a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2035.”

For more information on Go Electric, visit https://MyGreenMontgomery.org/GoElectric

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Release ID: 22-180
Media Contact: Veronica Robinson
Categories: Transportation