Fifty acres of solar panels are now generating electric power on the grounds of a former Mount Olive landfill once identified by the federal government as a toxic Superfund site. JCP&L this week announced that it has completed a grid connection to the “largest landfill solar project in North America.” The array south of Route 80 was built by owner CEP Renewables LLC of Red Bank through a public-private partnership with the township.
Mount Olive and CEP broke ground in 2021 to redevelop the property into a solar energy facility, with CEP acquiring the 65-acre Combe Fill North Landfill via foreclosure. “The landfill had a long and complicated history that challenged our community with environmental and financial hurdles,” said Mount Olive Mayor Rob Greenbaum. “By taking the site through the redevelopment process, and through a partnership with designated redeveloper CEP Renewables, this site has become a model for brownfield and landfill redevelopment projects in New Jersey.”
The 25.6-megawatt Mount Olive Solar Field will provide clean power for more than 4,000 homes. The township expect to recoup a $2.3 million tax lien on the property which will generate about $50,000 in annual tax revenue going forward, according to Greenbaum.