Duke Energy gains approval for 5 MW North Carolina landfill solar project
With approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission secured this week, Duke Energy is set to build a 5 MW solar project on a retired county landfill in Buncombe County.
A first for the company, this project will operate as a public-private effort, jointly pursued by Duke and the county, with plans for it to enter operation by the end of the year. Once running, it should produce enough energy to power approximately 1,000 homes and businesses annually and help the county meet its 2030 renewable energy goals.
“This innovative project enjoyed great stakeholder and local support and will continue the growth of renewable energy in North Carolina,” Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, said.
The project will account for nearly 20 percent of Buncombe’s renewable energy goal. It also gives new life to a site that ceased operation back in 1996. Still, accounting for the detritus in the area, the solar racking system will be built atop concrete blocks across the 25 acres of the grounds, and underground cabling will be kept to a minimum. For the next 25 years, the grounds will be leased to Duke Energy, while Buncombe will own the renewable energy certificates associated with the new plant.
“The people of Buncombe County recognize climate protection as one of the most urgent issues facing our world today,” County Board of Commission Chairman Brownie Newman said. “The solar landfill project is an important part of our initial strategy to accelerate the transition to clean, renewable energy. We are excited to see it move forward.”
