RED BANK, N.J. – CEP Renewables LLC, an accomplished expert in the development of solar power plants on unusable land such as landfills, brownfields, Superfunds, and mining sites, will begin construction on the largest solar project installed on a capped landfill in North America. This 25.6 megawatt (dc) solar project located in Mount Olive, New Jersey, transforms the former Combe Fill North Landfill Superfund site, into an income-generating, clean energy producing asset. The Mt. Olive Solar Field will provide clean power for over 4,000 homes, create new jobs, and generate significant tax dollars, along with improving the quality of the environment for the local community.
“New Jersey Governor Murphy’s dedication to continuing to advance New Jersey’s leadership role in the renewable energy industry demonstrates foresight for the state’s future, better positioning it economically and preparing it to withstand climate-driven challenges,” said Gary Cicero, Chief Executive Officer of CEP Renewables. “The Mount Olive solar project will contribute substantially to New Jersey’s renewable energy mandate of 50% clean energy by 2030.”
The Mount Olive property served as a landfill from 1966 to 1981. It was not properly closed when the owner went bankrupt and abandoned the property in the early 1980s. In 1982, it was placed on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Priorities List of Superfund sites.
“The landfill had a long and complicated history that challenged our community with environmental and financial hurdles. By taking the site through the redevelopment process, and through partnership with designated redeveloper CEP Renewables, this site has become a model for brownfield and landfill redevelopment projects in New Jersey. The township will recoup nearly $2.3 million in past taxes while at the same time transitioning the old landfill to a revenue-generating, clean energy power plant. We’re very proud of that hard-fought accomplishment,” commented Robert Greenbaum, Mayor of Mount Olive Township, New Jersey.
If not properly capped and closed, landfills can become environmental hazards that pollute the surrounding land. If they are abandoned by their operators, municipalities, state, or federal governments are left to resolve the burden of costs to remedy the contamination and restore the area. This can be a significant drain on the local community and the state.
“EPA Superfund sites are incredibly complex sites,” said Alyssa Sarubbi, Project Manager for CEP Renewables. “They take an exceptional amount of time, investment, and advanced expertise to bring from inception to interconnection. The company has the capability, experience, and tenacity to get these types of projects done.” CEP Renewables has developed and energized over $200 million worth of solar power generation projects comprising over 450 acres in just the past three years.
