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Solar energy can do more and more these
days. Using clean energy to
actually remediate an EPA Superfund site
seems like a particularly good match.
A forty acre,
six megawatt solar power plant is
providing the energy to run a water
treatment operation at a Superfund site in
California, and the U.S. EPA is so pleased
with the results that they've produced a
detailed case study to help promote similar
projects across the country.
The case study details how solar power came
to resolve
groundwater contamination at the Aeroject
General Corporation site (pdf) through a
partnership that involved the company, the
local utility, and the solar installer - and
it also describes how the installation is
producing benefits beyond its initial goals.
Aerojet
belongs to the Rancho
Cordova Chamber of Commerce and while
this company is mainly known for figuring
out out to put very fast flying objects up
in the air, this story is about how this
chamber member used renewable technology to
clean up contaminents in the ground.
The partnership with the
Sacramento Municipal Utilities Project,
Solar Power, Inc. and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
took a former Superfund site and reclaimed
it for renewable energy generation.
The Aerojet Superfund Site
Aerojet is an aerospace and defense company
situated on 5,900 acres in the Sacramento
area. It acquired the former gold mining
area in the 1950's, when it was relatively
remote. In 1983 EPA put part of the
property on the National Priorities list due
to groundwater contaminated with industrial
chemicals and pesticides, which threatened
the nearby American River. To clean up the
site, billions of gallons of water (102
billion so far) have been pumped out of the
ground and sent to a treatment plant, which
of course requires copious amounts of
energy.
The Aerojet Site and Solar Power
Multiple factors came together to enable the
solar installation. Aerojet has development
plans for other parts of its property, so it
was highly motivated to cut the cost of
remediating the Superfund site while
reducing its carbon footprint. It also had
land available on its property that was
ideal for a solar installation (in other
words, flat and undeveloped). The local
utility was none other than the Sacramento
Municipal Utility District, which has been
front and center in adopting solar energy.
The utility put up $13 million of the
installation's $20 million cost under a
power purchase agreement. One crucial piece
of the puzzle was the installer,
Solar Power, Inc., which stepped up to
the plate and self-financed the first phase
of the project when the investment community
got the jitters, partly due to the 2008 and
crash and partly over concern that the use
of a Superfund site would cause
complications.
Solar Remediation is a Great Investment
EPA's case study is designed to lay those
fears to rest and get the investment
community more involved in reclaiming
contaminated sites for renewable energy
generation. In addition to the Aerojet
project, EPA has established a solid track
record of using solar power and other
green remediation techniques, which are
far less costly and can take far less time
than traditional dig and dump cleanup
methods. The agency's Re-Powering American
Lands program has uncovered a potential gold
mine of 14 million acres in cheap, available
sites that could be used for
new solar and wind power installations,
and it has been targeting renewable energy
projects that create
new green jobs in local communities.
Aerojet and Green Jobs
EPA is not the only one pleased with the
outcome of the project. The new solar array
not only powers elements of the remediation
effort, it also provides power for some of
Aerojet's facilities on the property. That
convinced Aerojet of the viability of solar
power investment, and the company has formed
an Executive Sustainability Council to work
with Solar Power, Inc. and the local utility
to add more solar installations, leading
to new green jobs. It has also made the
installation available to local community
colleges for hands-on training in solar
energy technology, which will help develop a
new green workforce for the future.
To join the Rancho
Cordova Chamber of Commerce, click
HERE! To other California chambers:
Please let us know about your Clean Energy
successes and Green Members so we can
publish your story in the C of C GreenSheet! |
