Dirr, Alison. “Closed Landfill to Become Massive Milwaukee Green Energy Project with 7,000 Solar Panels.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2020, www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2020/03/05/milwaukee-makes-deal-convert-landfill-into-solar-energy-showcase/4962754002/.

 

A recently closed landfill in Milwaukee will be converted into a small solar farm capable of producing around 2.25 megawatts. The farm, Milwaukee’s largest solar project in its history, will provide power for around 460 homes and contribute to Milwaukee’s goal of getting 25% of their electricity from clean sources by 2025. The mayor also stated that other types of development over the landfill weren’t as attractive to citizens. Finally, the farm is being built next to the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard, which will help the base with emergency preparedness. Should the electrical grid go down for any reason during an emergency, all power from the solar farm will be diverted to the station.

This story is so relevant to what we’ve been working on recently in class, as it is an example of what we can do with land that covers a closed landfill. Because it’s not an area that city planners would want to put businesses or homes, it normally goes unused. This makes it the perfect location for a solar farm. It avoids the NIMB situation because the area is already bad enough to look at, and if anything, the presence of solar panels improves it. Furthermore, closed landfills are something every city has, which means that there are places every city can install solar.