Turning Trash Into Solar Power

Super Idea: Repurposing Toxic Sites to Produce Solar Energy

Frank Carini. April 14, 2018 (EcoRI News)

“…[Two municipalities in Rhode Island and the state university have solved the challenge of finding land for solar by] developing solar energy on long-ago trashed sites…[They] are building solar facilities on two Superfund sites…[T]he former Rose Hill Regional Landfill and the closed URI waste disposal site/West Kingston town dump…had been identified at one time by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as having been contaminated by hazardous waste. The properties, which had been remediated and closed, are reportedly expected to be producing solar energy in the coming months…There is no capital cost for the two municipalities and URI. The developer, Kearsarge Energy, will keep 75 percent of the energy generated and sell the remaining 25 percent to the towns and the university…[The agreement] also stipulates that the renewable energy credits (RECs) produced at the two solar facilities will stay with Kearsarge for the first 10 years before transferring to the consortium…[O]wners of municipal landfills must balance the risk to humans versus a beneficial reuse of a landfill…[S]olar projects have typically been deemed favorable by regulatory agencies since access by humans is relatively limited to construction…” click here for more

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