WASHINGTON -The E.P.A. (EPA) and the D.O.E.'s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) are collaborating to conduct a study on the potential for solar power generation on the former Kerr McGee Chemical Facility location in Columbus, Miss. As part of the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, E.P.A. is investing approximately $1 million for plans across the U.S. aiming to revitalize abandoned sites while protecting people's health, the environment and providing economic benefits to local communities, including job creation.
"The RE-Powering America's Land Initiative is not just about using these sites for energy production but using these sites to re-energize communities," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "These studies are the 1st step to transforming these sites from eyesores today to community assets tomorrow."
The former Kerr McGee facility is one of 26 sites that will be analyzed for the potential development of wind, solar, biomass, or geothermal at 26 sites. The analysis will determine the best renewable energy technology for the site, the optimal location for placement of the renewable energy technology on the site, potential energy generating capacity, the return on the investment, and the economic feasibility of the renewable energy projects. The 26 sites are located in Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Mexico, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington.
Renewable energy plans of this nature have been successful in the past. There have been over 20 renewable energy plans built on contaminated sites and more are currently underway. For example, in 2010, a 6 megawatt solar array was constructed on the Aerojet General Corporation Superfund location in Sacramento County, California This solar farm is being used to power the cleanup. Also in 2010, the ten megawatt Exelon City Solar installation, which is the biggest urban solar power plant in the United States, was built on a brownfield location in Chicago
Some of the sites under consideration for renewable energy plans have completed cleanup activities, while others may be in various stages of assessment or cleanup. Renewable energy plans on the sites will be designed to accommodate the location conditions.
Superfund sites are the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites identified by E.P.A. for cleanup. Brownfields are properties at which expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence of contaminants. Contaminated lands can be ideal locations for developing renewable energy plans because they often can leverage existing utility infrastructure, and this redevelopment may be allowed under existing zoning.
In September 2008, E.P.A. launched the RE-Powering America's Land initiative to encourage development of renewable energy on potentially contaminated land and mining sites. E.P.A. partnered with NREL to do an initial screening to determine sites that may be used for renewable energy projects.
More information on the RE-Powering America's Land initiative:
http://www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland/
More information on NREL:
http://www.nrel.gov/
