A solar array is slated to be built on top of a capped landfill in New Haven, Connecticut. It is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives the city is pursuing, including installing solar on schools and other municipal buildings.
The installation, developed by Greenskies Clean Focus, will include approximately 2,000 solar panels. Project planners anticipate the system will send 1.4 million kWh of power annually to the United Illuminating grid.
Once complete, Greenskies will pay the city more than $1.4 million over 20 years to lease the space.
According to Audacy, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and his staff argue that clean energy projects benefit both the environment and the economy by creating jobs and providing much-needed energy supply.
“We’ve seen a lot of reporting about how concerned everyone is about their energy bills,” said Steven Winter, executive director of New Haven’s Office of Climate & Sustainability. “The best way to bring down those costs in the long run is to bring on facilities like this—and projects such as Revolution Wind—rather than stop them.”
“There’s nothing better to do here than to put solar on top of this landfill,” said Ryan Linares, vice president at Greenskies Clean Energy, during a press conference with Mayor Elicker.
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