Abandoned paper mill in New Jersey gets new life with solar power

CEP Renewables has completed the development of the second phase of its 16-MW_DC solar project sited on the abandoned Hughesville Paper Mill in the Township of Holland, New Jersey. Construction is expected to begin in the 4th quarter of 2021. Each phase of the solar project is 8-MW_DC and, together, each will contribute to New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan with enough energy to power almost 3,000 homes annually. These clean power plants create jobs, generate significant tax and lease revenues, and improve the quality of the environment for the local community.

“The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, along with the State Governor are taking steps that will have a long-term positive impact for the people of New Jersey,” said Gary Cicero, CEO of CEP Renewables. “These types of projects can be transformative for communities. They deliver significant revenues to help meet annual municipal budget targets and clean up legacy contaminated properties that have presented a myriad of financial and environmental challenges to the community.”

The Milford Paper Mill was built in 1907. It had a long and storied history. The property encompassed over 73 acres, but when it closed in 2003 only 21 acres could be built on. It was listed as a Superfund site in 2009 and the Environmental Protection Agency conducted several elements of the site’s cleanup. The process included removing hazardous materials, storage tanks, oil-containing electrical equipment, asbestos, construction and demolition debris, concrete, scrap metal and over 10,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil.

“Executing the development, design, and construction of a solar power plant on a site with this kind of environmental history requires a highly experienced team,” said Alyssa Sarubbi, project manager for CEP Renewables. “We have the resources and the network necessary to build a clean energy plant that will be a quiet, clean and reliable power source. At CEP Renewables, we take our job very seriously and we’re dedicated to delivering the highest quality in our work.”

News item from CEP Renewables

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Original Source: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/09/cep-renewables-abandoned-paper-mill-new-jersey-solar/