Solar Developer Announces Permits For Middletown Landfill Project

MIDDLETOWN, CT — West Hartford-based solar energy developer Verogy announced Wednesday that the company has received permits from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the conversion of the former landfill on Johnson Street in Middletown.

The capped landfill at 180 Johnson St. will be designed to host a solar energy system producing 1,005,264 kWh/year, or enough to power 95 average homes for a year, Verogy officials said.

Permits for landfills in Deep River and Montville were also announced. Verogy officials said collectively, the three sites will host solar projects with an aggregate size of 2.15 MW DC, and will produce "over 2,600 MWh of zero carbon, clean energy annually – enough to power 252 homes for a year."

When energized, Verogy’s Middletown project will offset 712 metric tons of carbon every year, the equivalent of the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 80,000 gallons of gasoline, officials said.

Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but Verogy officials were quite vocal.

"Landfills are often seen as environmental burdens to their communities. Through Verogy, these parcels will be given a new lease on life and will be converted from underutilized sites into useful assets," company officials said. "In total, Verogy will redevelop more than seven acres of remediated land, bringing the properties back into productive use."

The recent approvals from the DEEP reflect "a core strategy of the company, which is to develop and prioritize opportunities to convert landfill sites into clean energy producing properties," Verogy officials said.

"Verogy is grateful to Connecticut DEEP's staff for their thoughtful review of our three landfill projects,” Verogy CEO Will Herchel said. "These projects mark a dual victory for the environment. First, by generating renewable energy, these projects will significantly reduce carbon emissions, contributing to the fight against climate change. Second, the use of capped landfills for the projects represents an important achievement in land reclamation and sustainability."