PSEG Wants To Put More Solar Panels In N.J. Landfills, Brownfields

To some, the word “landfill” conjures thoughts of garbage and waste.

But to others, the word has a different meaning… energy.

On Wednesday, PSE&G announced that it filed a request with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to extend its “Solar 4 All” program, which utilizes rooftops, parking lots, utility poles and landfills/brownfields for large-scale, grid connected solar projects.

If approved, the extension will allow the company to invest about $275 million to design and construct an additional 100 megawatts of grid-connected solar capacity on landfills and brownfields in New Jersey by the end of 2021, according to PSE&G news release.

Currently, the Solar 4 All project operates more than 150,000 solar panels at eight landfill and brownfield solar farms on 170 acres of landfill and brownfield space, PSE&G stated.

The proposed extension would nearly triple the amount of landfill and brownfield solar that PSE&G will own and operate in New Jersey, company officials stated.

In addition, company officials stated that the extension is expected to create up to 575 jobs in the Garden State during construction time.

“In addition to reclaiming and reusing brownfield and landfill sites as viable solar resources, landfill solar projects are also about 40 percent less expensive than typical residential net-metered solar projects, which will further help New Jersey meet its renewable energy goals,” PSE&G officials stated.

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Photo courtesy of PSE&G