Construction has commenced on a 10-MW BEMS solar landfill project at a long-abandoned property in Southampton, New Jersey. CEP Renewables took ownership of the former Big Hill landfill site after finalizing the redevelopment and tax lien foreclosure process. Therefore, CEP is not only developing an energy-generating asset but also helping the territory recoup 40 years of back taxes.
CEP Renewables partnered with CS Energy to build the BEMS solar landfill project which will utilize Terrasmart‘s solar racking solution. According to CEP’s Executive VP, Chris Ichter, the project builds on the success of their previous Mount Olive solar landfill project. Therefore, their new project utilizes a process similar to the Mount Olive redevelopment, which is the largest in North America. The developer expects this project to be completed by May 2023.
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Development plans for the BEMS solar landfill project
The BEMS solar landfill project will feature 5-MW solar systems spanning across 2 utility territories. Overall, the solar project will generate enough clean energy to power 2,000 households. According to the developer, the project will serve as a reliable source of local tax revenue for the community in the long term. Additionally, low-to-moderate-income locals will also receive guaranteed savings on their purchases.
The BEMS solar landfill project represents just one out of 16 landfill projects which CEP currently has under development. Presently, there are still over 10,000 closed landfills in the United States, which could generate about 60 GW of solar capacity. Thus far, the developer has added over 100-MW of solar projects in New Jersey which supports the Governor’s Energy Plan. This ambitious plan requires the state to utilize 100% clean energy sources by 2050.
Michael Dillon, CS Energy’s director of operations said the company was excited about working with CEP Renewables on the project. He said redeveloping this formerly unusable site to generate solar energy, would provide ecological and monetary benefits in the region.
