In July 2009, New Jersey state regulators approved the Public Service Electric & Gas Company’s Solar 4 All program — a $515 million plan for the utility to own and operate 80 megawatts (MW) of solar power by the end of 2013.

But it wasn’t until January 2010 — when Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G) announced four sites across New Jersey where it intended construct solar farms — that the program really got off the ground. The utility has set aside 27 PSE&G-owned acres to host the first three projects: the Silver Lake Solar Farm in Edison Township; the Yardville Solar Farm in Hamilton Township; and the Trenton Solar Farm in Trenton. Uniquely, the Trenton and Edison farms will stand on former contaminated brownfields.

PSE&G's Silver Lake solar power project

The first solar panels arrive at PSE&G’s Silver Lake project in July 2010
(photo courtesy of PSE&G)

Now, the utility is beginning to build a third brownfield solar power project — the Linden Solar Farm. On Tuesday, PSE&G Vice President of Renewable and Energy Services Al Matos spoke about the brownfield transformations during his visit to the Linden site:

“With our solar arrays here in Linden, as well as those in Edison and Trenton, we are helping to turn brownfields green – and give these long-dormant sites a new purpose. By the end of this year, these three solar farms will be providing enough electricity to power about 1,000 average-sized homes, while creating jobs and helping New Jersey to become a major player in the renewable energy sector.”

The 10-acre, 11,484 solar photovoltaic (PV) panel Linden Farm is expected to produce enough energy to power 525 average-sized homes in a state that is no stranger to flipping brownfields into clean energy producers. In September of this year, Clean Harbors Environmental Services installed a 1.5-MW solar energy system on a 90-acre former brownfield in Gloucester, New Jersey. That farm is currently using over 6,000 solar PV panels and should be able to produce enough power for 1,1000 average American homes every year.

There are over 15 other sites that make up the Solar 4 All program not including the four main solar plants. They include 40 MW of pole-attached solar capacity scattered about PSE&G’s service area and installations at five New Jersey public schools. The utility company estimates that the program will create roughly 150 new clean energy jobs throughout New Jersey.

As far as land use is concerned, converting brownfields into solar power plants may be one of the best policies out there.