The city and a renewable energy developer are proposing to construct a 991-kilowatt solar panel array on a 4.25-acre section of capped landfill surrounded by the sprawling Bates Woods property. The plan, which will be discussed at a Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing on Thursday, calls for building a series of ground-mounted racking systems holding 3,032 solar panels. The panels would be positioned on a portion of former ash and bulky waste landfill land used for about 30 years before it closed in 1991. The city will work with North Haven-based Greenskies Clean Energy LLC, a developer and operator of renewable energy projects, to build the system with a gravel access road constructed by city public works crews. “This was a dump, a landfill that was capped – we are not carving out any part of Bates Woods for this project,” he said. “This is a project that is in line with (state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection) policies and will contribute to the state’s effort to de-carbonize our economy.” Public Works Director Brian Sear said Greenskies would be responsible for installing and maintaining the panels. He said the city expects to see a roughly $110,000 annual drop in its electric bills through a power purchase agreement involving the electricity generated by the proposed solar system.
https://www.theday.com/local-news/20241204/solar-farm-with-more-than-3000-panels-proposed-for-capped-landfill-near-new-london-park/