New Jersey to Tap Swamps Near New York City for Solar Power

Reuters

Tuesday 11 April 2006

New York - New Jersey hopes to convert the Meadowlands, gritty wetlands near New York City that are emerging from decades of heavy industry and dumping, into one of the nation's leading areas for generating solar power.

New Jersey set a goal on Monday of getting 20 Megawatts of power from renewable sources in the district by 2020. It hopes to install 5 Megawatts of solar panels at an estimated cost of US $25 million to US $30 million. The first should be in place by the end of next year.

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, part of the state's Department of Community Affairs, says the solar cells could be put on roofs, parking lots - and landfills.

In 2002, Fala Direct Marketing, a private company, installed the largest US solar system, a 1.02 MW system in Long Island that covers 100,000 square feet of combined roof area.

The Meadowlands' other 15 MW of clean power could come from tidal, geothermal, or wind sources of alternative energy.

Methane gas from capped landfills in the Meadowlands already powers about 10,000 homes. Nancy Benecki, a spokeswoman for the NJMC, said the gas would not be included in the goals New Jersey set on Monday.