The Global Sanitary Landfill in Old Bridge Township, N.J., moved another step closer to becoming a solar energy facility with AC Power’s sale of the solar project and its 25-year lease to NJR Clean Energy Ventures (CEV).
Meanwhile, Superfun LLC, an AC Power affiliate, took title to the real estate.
“With projects like Old Bridge – our first New Jersey community solar project – we are committed to repurposing brownfields and other beneficial use sites to create clean energy,” says Robert Pohlman, vice president of NJR CEV. “Any time we can transform underutilized space to produce renewable energy to benefit customers and advance the state’s clean energy goals, it is a win-win for all.”
The Global Sanitary Landfill is a former municipal and non-hazardous industrial waste site that was designated as a superfund site by the EPA. The landfill has been inactive since 1984 and a financial burden to the township for decades. AC Power began development of the site in 2020 with the goal of securing community solar offtake for the generated power.
In October 2021, the 2.8 MW DC project was awarded capacity by the N.J. Board of Public Utilities in the second year of its community solar pilot program. The program provides subscribers an opportunity to reduce their electricity costs with local renewable, clean energy.
The program also ensured that ancillary benefits were deployed in the community with AC Power partnering with Solar One and the County College of Morris to sponsor student enrollment in an interactive workforce development program.