Waste Management completes solar farm at closed Massachusetts landfill

Houston-basedWaste Management (WM), in partnership with project owner Captona Partners, New York City, recently completed construction on a 5-megawatt (MW) solar farm at the closed Hudson/Stow landfill, in Hudson, Massachusetts.

Closed since 1997, the landfill now contains 18,216 solar panels on more than 28 acres of land. The 5-megawatt (MW) capacity generates enough energy to power 1,000 homes in the region.

"Solar farms require a lot of area, and closed landfills make excellent sites for them," says Chris DeSantis, area vice president, WM. "Waste Management has developed similar projects at other closed facilities across the country. We are pleased to add Hudson/Stow, which is now one of four closed landfill sites in Massachusetts that are generating renewable, solar energy."  

Two additional sites, MT Sullivan Landfill in Chicopee, Massachusetts (2 MW) and Berkley Landfill in Berkley, Massachusetts (3.6 MW), were also developed by Captona Partners, while the fourth site, Hunt Road LF in Amesbury, Massachusetts (4.5 MW), was developed by Boston-based nonprofit Citizens Energy Corp., Boston.

Collectively, the four solar farms generate enough energy to power approximately 3,000 Massachusetts homes.

"We are excited to create additional, long-term value for the closed landfill by supplying clean energy to the area's residents and businesses," says Roshni Mali, director from Captona Partners, and project manager for the Hudson/Stow, Berkley and Chicopee solar projects.