Ty Marsh, SWACO’s Executive Director issued the following statement after the announcement by AEP Energy that they have signed a letter of intent to purchase energy generated at the Columbus Solar Park on the SWACO-owned closed landfill site on Jackson Pike. Earlier this year, SWACO leased 173-acres to BQ Energy Development, LLC, an affiliate of the Columbus Solar Park, for the purpose of turning the closed landfill into a productive re-use as a solar energy facility.

“We are so pleased that our partners have been able to reach an agreement for the power generated at the Columbus Park Solar site which will benefit not only SWACO but our entire region for many generations.”

Once the solar farm is built, Columbus Solar Park will operate the facility. SWACO will receive an escalating rental payment per megawatt of installed electricity capacity. The lease runs approximately 25 years with an option to extend it with mutual consent. SWACO will use the revenue from the solar facility to offset its own operating expenses, develop more educational programming, add to central Ohio’s existing recycling and composting infrastructure, and/or keep the fees low for haulers that deliver waste to the landfill.

For more information, visit www.swaco.org.

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