EPA Issues Best Practices for Siting Solar Projects on Landfills

Date: March 6, 2013

Source: US EPA

The EPA has finalized technical guidance for siting solar power projects on municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The guidance, "Best Practices for Siting Solar Photovoltaics on Municipal Solid Waste Landfills," is part of the agency's RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, in which EPA encourages renewable energy development on existing or formerly contaminated land. EPA released the final document last month in cooperation with the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The EPA which screened more than 11,000 potentially contaminated sites including closed landfills and portions of active landfills with closed cells, says they "represent thousands of acres of real property that may be suitable for siting solar PV." Developing them for solar could bring an economically viable reuse for sites that might otherwise have low real estate development potential. Those sites would likely be near existing roads and energy distribution infrastructure, and may represent limited remaining open space, the report asserts.

To learn more, visit EPA's website: www.epa.gov/oswercpa/.

FROM EPA WEBSITE:

EPA is encouraging renewable energy development on current and formerly contaminated land and mine sites when it is aligned with the community's vision for the site. This initiative identifies the renewable energy potential of these sites and provides other useful resources for communities, developers, industry, state and local governments or anyone interested in reusing these sites for renewable energy development.

Copy of the report: www.epa.gov/oswercpa/docs/best_practices_siting_solar_photovoltaic.pdf.

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