RE-POWERING AMERICA'S LAND INITIATIVE
n'/
'ICF
Prepared under contract to EPA by:
ICF Incorporated, LLC
EPA PUBLICATION NUMBER: 540-R-23-001
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER/2023
Profiles of State Programs
FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON
LANDFILLS, MINES, AND FORMERLY CONTAMINATED SITES
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Profiles of State Programs for Renewable Energy Development on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites for
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) RE-Powering America's Land Initiative (RE-Powering)
Table of Contents
Overview of Report 1
Background and Purpose 1
Overall Observations on State Program Design 2
Highlighting Individual State Program Best Practices 3
Individual State Program Profiles 6
Organization of the Profiles 6
Massachusetts 7
New Jersey 24
New York State 42
Rhode Island 61
Colorado 75
Illinois 86
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 99
Published: September/2023
For more information, please contact Lora Strine, Team Leader, EPA RE-Powering America's Land Initiative at strine.lora(a>epa.aov.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Overview of Report
Background and Purpose
Renewable energy projects on landfills, mines, and current and formerly contaminated sites (hereinafter "RE-Powering sites") have
been successfully developed in 47 states and territories. These projects are engineered, constructed, and operated so that the
renewable technologies do not interfere with existing or future corrective actions and therefore do not increase threats to human
health or the environment from the sites. Most of the states with the highest levels of project development on RE-Powering sites
have designed and implemented longstanding, state-specific programs targeted toward such sites (hereinafter "RE-Powering
programs"). Additional states, such as Illinois, are implementing newer programs for renewables on these types of sites and seeing
project development and deployment growth. Many other states, as well as local communities and utilities, are considering similar
programs to expand landfill, mine, and contaminated site reuse and steer renewable development away from greenfield sites,
forests, and agricultural lands, where feasible.
The state program summaries in this document are geared toward multiple audiences: state and local government energy,
environmental, and economic development agency staff; legislators; renewable energy developers; land use, environmental,
business, and labor officials; electric utility staff in states considering adopting or expanding RE-Powering programs; and EPA
headquarters and regional staff. The summaries are meant to educate readers about key aspects of relevant programs, allowing
audiences to more fully and quickly address initial questions from state, local, regional, and other officials on program features and
whether, how, and why those features are associated with program success. Providing quick access to key program features through
these summaries will help with replication and adaptation of best practices nationally, as well as ensure efficiency in research and
communication.
RE-Powering piloted these program summaries in 2022 with information from the three states with the most RE-Powering sites
hosting renewable energy projects—Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York—and a fourth state, Illinois, which requires that a
portion of its new utility-scale solar projects be on RE-Powering sites. This edition updates information from those four states and
adds profiles for Colorado and Rhode Island, which each contain innovative state programs. The program summaries are informed
by secondary source research and interviews with state agency staff, renewable energy developers, and other stakeholders in each
state; however, they are not meant to be comprehensive. Similar summaries for other states may be added to the document in
the future.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Overall Observations on State Program Design
One key observation from comparing the program designs implemented in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island,
Colorado, and Illinois is how different they are as a result of being tailored to specific state market characteristics.
Another observation is that state programs can be grouped into eight categories:
1. Direct Financial Incentives
2. Procurement Preferences or Requirements
3. Streamlined Permitting & Environmental Reviews
4. Liability Relief
5. Site Identification & Development Support
6. Education & Outreach
7. General Brownfield1 Reuse (not specific to, but also applicable to, renewable energy reuse)
8. Interagency Coordination
States with high levels of RE-Powering project deployment have all consistently implemented programs in several categories for
many years. While their specific program designs vary widely, the following success factors appear to be universally applicable:
(1) analyzing in-state markets to identify high-potential program components; (2) building on existing, broader renewable energy
efforts in the state; (3) engaging with stakeholders to design the components; and (4) ensuring that they complement broader
trends and energy policies in the state.
1 EPA defines a "brownfield" as "a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant." See EPA, Overview of EPA's Brownfields Program, 2023, https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview-epas-brownfields-program.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Highlighting Individual State Program Best Practices
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island have achieved high levels of deployment for RE-Powering projects by
implementing best practice programs tailored to their market characteristics. Illinois and Colorado have implemented innovative
programs, for solar procurement and site mapping respectively, that are also among national best practices.
In Massachusetts, the overall solar photovoltaic (PV) market has grown rapidly since 2010, spurred by solar-specific financial
incentives and a virtual net metering (VNM) program that offers flexibility in allocating solar output credits produced in locations
with little onsite electricity consumption (e.g., a landfill) to locations where there is substantial onsite consumption (e.g., municipal
buildings in the town owning the landfill). That market backdrop, together with rules that incentivize solar projects, has been
conducive to the development of landfill-based solar projects. The potential for such projects was very large due to the number of
municipally owned landfills in Massachusetts with between 5 and 30 acres suitable for ground-mounted solar projects. Dozens of
such sites have been converted to renewable reuse over the past decade.
To help capture this potential, Massachusetts implemented (starting in 2011) a long-term collaboration called the Clean Energy
Results Program between state departments managing environmental protection and energy resources. This and related programs
offered a wide range of site identification and assessment, education, technical assistance, stakeholder engagement, streamlined
permitting, and liability relief services focused particularly on solar and wind redevelopment of RE-Powering sites. Because
Massachusetts has a strong tradition of home rule, programs tended to be implemented on a "bottom-up" basis that encouraged,
rather than actively managed or required, local participation. As a critical accompaniment to these programs and a main driver of
the state's significant solar market growth, Massachusetts implemented the Solar Renewable Energy Certificate and Solar
Massachusetts Renewable Target incentive programs. These incentive programs have included enhanced financial benefits for solar
projects on landfills and brownfields for the past 11 years.
Regulatory and financial incentive programs implemented more than a decade ago have helped Massachusetts RE-Powering projects
overcome early phase barriers to development and ride the wave of rapid overall solar development in the state. The outcome is
that Massachusetts is the most frequent implementer of RE-Powering projects in the United States, with 131 total projects
deployed, equal to 26% of all RE-Powering projects nationally.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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New Jersey has the highest population density of any state and has been encouraging reuse of landfills, brownfields, and other types
of underutilized sites for solar for more than a decade to preserve its limited greenspace. Its overall solar market has long been one
of the 10 largest in the United States; RE-Powering sites have hosted 6% or more of all new solar capacity in the state every year
since 2010; and New Jersey has the second highest installed capacity of RE-Powering projects of any state.
New Jersey has achieved this high share of RE-Powering sites through a combination of carefully managed procurement preferences
for brownfields and landfills, direct incentive factors, and numerous other programs designed to reduce development costs, risks,
and timelines for renewable reuse. In each iteration of the state's overall solar policy, it has included specific mechanisms for
encouraging landfill and brownfield site reuse, including utility-scale and community solar procurement preferences in the Successor
Solar Incentive Program established in 2021. The Office of Permitting and Project Navigation provides a one-stop shop to accelerate
environmental permit coordination and review. The state has also been a leader in making data on RE-Powering sites available to
potential developers, with a suite of free mapping tools that includes a community solar PV siting tool that integrates utility data on
how much new solar can be accommodated at points on the grid with renewable energy potential and land use data layers.
In New York, a long tradition of providing streamlined permitting and environmental reviews for site redevelopment, clear
capacity-based incentives for solar projects, and educational materials has contributed to steady growth, consistently placing the
state near the top of the list nationally in RE-Powering sites. These efforts helped two RE-Powering wind projects become
operational near Buffalo, totaling 35 megawatts (MW) of capacity, and three to six new RE-Powering solar projects to typically
become operational throughout the state each year.
In 2020, significant new legislation (the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act [Benefit Act]) was
enacted in New York. This legislation aims to greatly accelerate the deployment of 20+ MW renewable energy projects, with an
emphasis on using underutilized lands (such as landfills and brownfields) where possible to meet the state's 70% by 2030 renewable
energy goal. This legislation launched the Build-Ready Program, under which the state's energy agency will directly advance
underutilized sites until the development projects on those sites can be auctioned to the private market. The Build-Ready Program
seeks to identify, develop, and de-risk landfills, brownfields, mines, and other underutilized sites in collaboration with their host
communities to overcome market barriers. This program began screening more than 500 sites in its first year. Through New York's
Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 (Climate Act), the Climate Action Council released a scoping plan in 2022
that acts as a framework for how New York will meet its climate goals and attain climate justice for disadvantaged communities,
including through the reuse of landfills and brownfields.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Rhode Island has deployed the seventh most RE-Powering projects of any state, which is a reflection both of its (1) attention to
minimizing forest loss as the state grows its renewable market to meet the earliest 100% renewable electricity requirement of any
state, and (2) multi-year management of financial incentive and education programs tailored to solar siting. Rhode Island developed
the Brownfields Solar PV Program within its Renewable Energy Fund to provide up to $250,000 per project, and the program has
awarded grants to more than 40 MW of projects over the past 4 fiscal years. The state recently enacted legislation to update its
Renewable Energy Growth and Net Metering programs to provide preferences for various site types, including landfills, brownfields,
and Superfund sites, and it also publishes an extensive list of municipal solar ordinances to inform local siting rules. In administering
these programs, Rhode Island consistently collaborates across state agencies with specialized roles and expertise.
Colorado experienced a relatively active market for RE-Powering projects between 2010 and 2017, with nine projects installed
during that time. While no new RE-Powering projects have been recorded by EPA as having been completed since then, the
COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS mapping application was created in 2021 to further reuse of brownfields, landfills, mine-scarred lands,
and other marginalized sites as the overall renewable market grows toward significant statewide targets.
Illinois implemented a procurement requirement in the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2017 that at least 2% of new utility-scale solar PV
output must come from brownfield or landfill sites.2 This requirement and other parts of the legislation have led to significant new
RE-Powering project capacity in development. In the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act passed in September 2021, the state increased
that requirement to 3% and expanded the definition of "qualifying sites" to include closed coal mines. The Climate and Equitable
Jobs Act calls for significant acceleration of clean energy statewide, and the legislation ensures that RE-Powering sites will be part of
that growth. The legislation complements a formal interagency Climate Working Group organized by the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency and a brownfield loan program managed by that agency, which can be useful for renewable energy reuse.
2 Although the requirement is written for brownfield solar, its definition also includes solid waste sites such as landfills. See State of Illinois, Future Energy Jobs Act,
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/99/PDF/099-0906.pdf.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Individual State Program Profiles
Organization of the Profiles
The state program profiles are presented as short facts and observations in table format to make the information user-friendly and
allow for efficient updating in the future. Each state summary comprises the following sections:
• Overview
• Program profiles
o Grouped by the eight program categories identified above
• Program best practices/success factors
• Achievements to date (including deployment trends)
• General electricity market factors
• Points of contact for more information
The state summaries were prepared by ICF Incorporated, LLC (ICF), under contract to EPA, with assistance from EPA contractor
General Dynamics Information Technology in the production of certain charts. Links to data sources are provided on the right side of
the tables, where appropriate, and were current at the time of publication. Summary data attributed to the RE-Powering Tracking
Matrix are from the October 2022 edition, unless otherwise noted. A list of acronyms and abbreviations can be found at the end of
the document. The state profiles are presented in order of the number of RE-Powering projects installed, with Massachusetts listed
first, followed by New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Colorado, and Illinois.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Massachusetts
Topic Data Sources
Overview
Massachusetts has more renewable energy projects on RE-Powering sites than any other state (per the
RE-Powering Tracking Matrix). This fact is particularly remarkable given that Massachusetts' aggregate
retail electricity sales are only the 29th largest of the states (per the U.S. Energy Information
Administration).3 About 97% of Massachusetts' renewable project capacity on RE-Powering sites is for
solar projects, with the remainder being on-shore wind projects. Massachusetts began several efforts
encouraging solar projects on RE-Powering sites in 2011, and significant deployment of such projects
began the following year. Massachusetts' achievement is due to the following:
1. More than a decade of landfill- and brownfield-specific programs (e.g., added financial incentives
for landfills and brownfields, streamlined permitting, liability relief, education) with dedicated
staff, strong collaboration between the state's energy and environmental agencies, and consistent
support from elected officials.
2. General features of Massachusetts' solar market.
In the latter category, there are strong solar incentive programs, a VNM policy conducive to
municipalities building solar projects at landfills and other sites, and relatively high retail electricity prices
by national standards.
Massachusetts' success is largely attributable to this combination of factors, together with program rules
and the prevalence of municipally owned landfills with 5 to 30 acres of land suitable for solar-led
RE-Powering development that leads to projects concentrated between 1 MW and 6 MW of capacity
(104 of Massachusetts' 128 RE-Powering solar projects are in that size range). This has been the "sweet
spot" size for RE-Powering projects in Massachusetts; in other states, the "sweet spot" size can differ.
3 Data on total retail electricity sales are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, State Electricity Profiles, release date: November 10, 2022,
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/state/.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 7
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Topic
Massachusetts
Data Sources
Program Profiles
Direct Financial
Incentives
There is a 4 cents/kilowatt-hour (kWh) adder for landfill solar projects and a https://www.mass.gov/soiar-
massachusetts-renewable-
3 cents/kWh adder for brownfield solar projects in the current Solar target-smart
Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) tariff program. There is also a httDs://www.mass.aov/doc/caD
SUbtraCtOr for greenfield projects: acity-block-base-compensation-
rate-and-compensation-rate-
• The adders were established following a cost study of the incentives g-
necessary to put landfill and brownfield sites on equal footing with other
sites.
• Due to the design of this program, participants know at the outset of the
development process what the incentive will be for the project over the tariff
term of 10 or 20 years.
Under its previous Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC) program, landfill httDs://www.mass.aov/auides/s
and brownfield solar projects had a SREC factor (i.e., multiplier) higher than other oiar-carve-out-and-soiar-carve-
out-ii-program-information
ground-mounted sites in the state s SREC-II program (0.8 vs. 0.7) and were not
subject to the same capacity cap as large greenfield sites.
• The SREC-II program, like SMART, was performance-based (i.e., incentives
were based on the kWh output of solar projects).
• Net SREC-II prices, before original multipliers ranging from 1.0 to 0.7, were
28.5 cents/kWh through an auction process and were often higher in bilateral
market transactions.
• While there was an auction floor price in the SREC-II program that provided
certainty to participants on minimum SREC prices each year, there was
considerable uncertainty around realized SREC prices among participants
forgoing the auction process and selling their SRECs through other
mechanisms.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Streamlined
Permitting &
Environmental
Reviews
Massachusetts has various programs to accelerate environmental review steps
and timelines for qualifying renewable energy projects.
"For renewable energy project developers interested in contaminated properties,
Chapter 21E provides a number of statutory liability protections associated with
contamination at the property for qualifying persons."
"The liability protections most likely to be used by renewable energy developers
are" for (1) eligible tenants and (2) eligible persons.
• Eligible tenant protections include the following: Section 2 of Chapter 21E "is
intended to exclude certain tenants from the statutory liability they may
otherwise have merely as current operators at a contaminated site."
• Eligible person protections include the following: "Owners and operators who
did not cause or contribute to contamination at the site and who meet other
statutory requirements receive liability protection upon the completion of a
cleanup."
https://www.mass.gov/siting-
clean-energy-at-closed-landfills
https://www.mass.gov/clean-
en ergy-resu Its- progra m
https://www.mass.gov/doc/add
ressing-renewable-energy-
development-at-contaminated-
properties-in-massachusetts-
managing/download
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Massachusetts
Topic
Data
Sources
Site Identification &
Development Support
To aid in identifying promising sites for reuse and ascertaining the characteristics
of existing sites that are hosting renewables, Massachusetts publishes the
following:
• A database of RE-Powering sites with general and renewable-related
https://www.mass.gov/lists/dev
characteristics:
o The database has more than 1,000 site records and includes
renewable energy-related information such as wind speed, local utility
provider, and distance to transmission line for each record.
elooing-solar-Dhotovoltaics-on-
contaminated-land
• A detailed map showing operating solar and wind projects, as well as
in-development solar projects on landfills.
• Copies of permits from approved landfill renewable energy projects:
o The approved project permit documents include site descriptions,
summaries of environmental evaluations, and permit conditions.
https://www.mass.gov/service-
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) staff also
provide post-closure landfill technical assistance (e.g., with regard to solar
development and other topics) on a regional basis.
details/clean-energv-results-
contact-services
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Massachusetts
Topic
Data
Sources
Education & Outreach
The state has produced and maintains an extensive set of educational materials
https://www.mass.gov/lists/dev
eloping-solar-photovoltaics-on-
contaminated-landfftechnical-
and conducts in-person and online outreach, including the following:
•
Training presentations on renewables and complementary topics such as
greener cleanups.
resources-
•
An extensive Q&A document on ground-mounted solar.
•
A detailed Guide to Developing Solar Photovoltaics at Massachusetts
https://www.mass.gov/doc/pho
Landfills:
o This guide includes insights on ownership structures, system design,
tovoltaics-on-massachusetts-
landfills-0/download
permitting and utility interconnection, managing procurement, and
operations and maintenance of constructed solar PV systems.
General Brownfield
Among brownfield reuse programs, Massachusetts has a Brownfields
https://www.massdevelopment.
com/what-we-
offer/financing/loans-and-
Reuse
Redevelopment Fund that "finances the environmental assessment and
remediation of brownfield sites." The fund is administered by MassDevelopment.
guarantees/
There are two programs within this fund that can support site reuse:
"Interest-free financing of up to $250,000 per site is available for
environmental testing" in the Brownfields Site Assessment Program.
https://www.mass.gov/brownfi
•
elds-cleanup
•
"Loans of up to $750,000 per site are available for environmental clean-up
required for redevelopment" in the Brownfields Remediation Loan Program.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Topic
Massachusetts
Data
Sources
Interagency
Coordination
This collaboration between the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
(DOER) and MassDEP was established in 2011 and continues to operate to
remove regulatory and other barriers to clean energy development in the state.
• Clean Energy Results Program (CERP) activities pertain to renewable energy
on landfills and brownfields, as well as energy efficiency, anaerobic digestion,
and other waste diversion. There is also an emphasis on wastewater
treatment facilities.
• Technical assistance, regulatory guidance, and outreach are provided on a
regional basis. There are four regions of the state, each with its own
coordinator for different aspects of CERP (such as closed landfill renewable
development support) who devotes a portion of their job to CERP.
• The agencies also coordinate regarding incentives; DOER approves landfill and
brownfield incentives after MassDEP completes an initial environmental
review and evaluation of eligibility.
Note: Some of the program components mentioned earlier in this summary also
fall under the CERP umbrella.
https://www.mass.gov/service-
details/clean-energy-results-
contact-services
https://www.mass.gov/lists/cle
an-energy-resu Its- progress-
re ports
https://www.mass.gov/doc/clea
n-energy-results-2020-2021-
annual-report/download
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Topic
Massachusetts
Data Sources
Program Best Practices/Success Factors
Strong, Consistent
Government
Sponsorship
Consistent policies, programmatic support, and knowledge of renewable energy development in general
and reuse of RE-Powering sites in particular, from the legislature, governor, and DOER and MassDEP
agency leadership.
For example, see the Global Warming Solutions Act (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/global-
warming-solutions-act-background) and Climate Change Strategy Executive Order 569
(https://www.mass.gov/doc/executive-order-climate-change-strategv/download).
Interagency
Coordination
Strong links between DOER and MassDEP efforts through CERP and otherwise, as well as important
contributions from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and MassDevelopment.
Dedicated &
Decentralized Staffing
According to EPA RE-Powering data, CERP originally had 29 staff members partially or fully supporting it.
As the program has matured, the staff allocation now efficiently operates with approximately 15 staff
actively involved as of 2022.
Post-closure landfill technical assistance (e.g., with regard to solar development) is performed on a
regional basis. Many MassDEP staff have renewable support for landfills as a component of their jobs.
Significant Financial
Incentives
Favorable multipliers in the prior SREC-II program and adders of 3 cents/kWh (brownfield) to
4 cents/kWh (landfill) in the current SMART program for solar projects.
Numerous
Complementary
Programs
To complement financial incentives, Massachusetts offers streamlined environmental review processes,
liability relief provisions, sophisticated mapping tools and site databases, general brownfield loans, and
extensive education and outreach materials.
Agency staff are active in stakeholder settings and via conferences and webinars and have produced
guides specifically tailored to RE-Powering sites.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Topic
Massachusetts
Data Sources
Learning Curve
(Internal and External)
MassDEP is experienced in landfill and brownfield project reviews, which expedites the development of
viable projects.
• For brownfield determinations, sites must have evidence of past contamination AND technical or
community difficulties in site reuse for other purposes. This is to avoid solar on sites that could be
redeveloped for other purposes.
The widespread development of solar projects on RE-Powering sites helps with community acceptance
and reduces "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) pushback. Solar landfill and brownfield projects are now
widely accepted by the public and elected leaders. Nonetheless, communities still have an abiding
interest in being assured of the safety of placing solar on landfills and brownfields.
Barrier: Strong Home
Rule
Because Massachusetts has strong home rule provisions and 351 cities and towns, it can be difficult to
impose state-level development requirements or hands-on development programs. This has affected
Massachusetts' renewable program design (e.g., a program like New York's Build-Ready might face major
local opposition if adopted in Massachusetts).
Achievements to Date
RE-Powering Data on
All Renewable
Technologies (as of
Oct. 2022, unless
otherwise noted)
https://www.epa.gov/re-
• 131 operational projects (72% more than any other state and 26% of all powering/re-powering-tracking-
projects nationally).
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
• 359 MW of installed capacity (third highest total in the country).
• Three projects (aggregate capacity of 12 MW) are wind; the rest are solar.
• Cumulatively, 10% of all state solar capacity is on RE-Powering sites, as of the
end of 2021.
• Projects are most commonly 1 to 6 MW solar installations at municipal
landfills. This size reflects incentive and VNM policies in this state, as well as
the large number of cities and towns in Massachusetts with landfill acreage
suitable for solar projects of that size.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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Massachusetts-
Reported Data for
Operational Solar
Projects (only from
SREC-II and SMART
programs)
SREC-II Operational Projects (2014-2018)
Landfill and brownfield combined: 70 projects with a combined capacity of
183.2 MWDirect current (dc); average capacity/project of 2.6 MWdc
• Landfill: 52 projects with a combined capacity of 133.6 MWdc; average
capacity/project of 2.6 MWdc
• Brownfield: 18 projects with a combined capacity of 49.7 MWdc; average
capacity/project of 2.8 MWdc
SMART Approved Projects (2018-September 5. 2023)4
Landfill and brownfield combined: 28 projects with a combined capacity of
60.0 MWAiternating Current (AC); average capacity/project of 2.1 MWac
• Landfill: 20 projects with a combined capacity of 43.1 MWac; average
capacity/project of 2.2 MWac
• Brownfield: 8 projects with a combined capacity of 16.9 MWac; average
capacity/project of 2.1 MWac
Of these 28 RE-Powering site projects in the SMART program, 7 also received the
low-income community shared solar adder:
• To receive the adder, a project must have "at least 50% of its energy output
allocated to low-income customers in the form of electricity or bill credits."
• This adder varies from 6 cents/kWh to approximately 3.3 cents/kWh under
the declining block incentive program, with later projects being eligible for
lower incentives.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/sola
r-carve-out-ii-qualified-
renewable-generation-units
https://www.mass.gov/doc/sma
rt-solar-tariff-generation-units
https://www.mass.gov/doc/low
-income-generation-units-
guideline-october-
2020/download
https://www.mass.gov/doc/cap
acitv-block-base-compensation-
rate-and-compensation-rate-
adder-guideline-2
4 From the source spreadsheet (available at https://www.mass.gov/doc/smart-solar-tariff-generation-units). the data presented here were obtained by selecting "Approved" in the "Status" column
and "Brownfield" and "Landfill" in the "Location Adder" column.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 15
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Massachusetts
Topic
Data
Sources
Comparison with Total
Renewable Energy
Capacity in the State
As of 2021, Massachusetts had the following:
• 3,541 MW of solar PV capacity.
• 168 MW of wind-generating capacity.
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/massachusetts/
As of 2021, RE-Powering projects (with 339 MW of solar capacity and 12 MW of
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
wind capacity) represent the following:
• 10% of cumulative solar PV capacity statewide.
• 7% of cumulative wind capacity statewide.
Solar Deployment
Although solar projects on RE-Powering sites continue to be built, the pace has
Trends in the State
slowed. Likely reasons include the following:
• Land use saturation: Many of the best and largest landfill and brownfield sites
already have been developed with solar projects in Massachusetts.
• Net metering saturation: Many municipalities already have all the VNM
credits they can use:
o This VNM policy, along with the 10 MW net metering project cap for
public agency projects (much higher than the 2 MW cap for private
entities), was particularly helpful to landfill solar development because
many cities and towns own landfills that could host multi-MW solar
projects and apply the VNM credits to municipal building electricity
consumption elsewhere.
• Utility interconnection challenges: It often takes more time and costs more to
interconnect mid-size to large solar projects in Massachusetts with utility
grids than in past years. This has slowed overall solar market development.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 16
-------
With the Commonwealth of Massachusetts focused on meeting its 2050 and
earlier greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, MassDEP anticipates a
revitalized program that will support expected increases in renewable energy
permitting and construction applications. Current emphases of this agency
include efficiently processing site reviews (e.g., brownfield site determination
letters) and supporting resilience efforts.
Overall, Massachusetts has the 11th most total solar capacity of any state. As
Massachusetts transitioned from the SREC-II program to the SMART program, the
volume of new solar development declined from its peak. Many of the 1 M W to 6
MW solar projects built in the 2010s are classified as "commercial" in Chart 1 on
the next page.
The remainder of this section contains five charts on deployment trends in
Massachusetts. All but the first chart were developed by EPA and its contractors
based on RE-Powering Tracking Matrix data and U.S. Energy Information
Administration (EIA) overall statewide data.
https://seia.org/states-map
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 17
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Topic
Massachusetts
Data
Sources
Chart 1: The annual pace of solar deployment in Massachusetts has varied
widely, from about 200 MW to 600 MW over the past decade. Utility-scale and
community solar projects have become more significant parts of the market,
while the commercial segment (as defined by the Solar Energy Industries
Association in this chart) has decreased. It is important to note, however, that
community solar projects serve commercial as well as residential customers as
subscribers.
Massachusetts Annual Solar Installations
600
400
O
n
o.
rt
0
200
2013
.. ---¦
¦IIiiiiii
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
| Residential Commercial Community Solar Utility
Solar Energy Industries
Association and Wood
Mackenzie Power &
Renewables, U.S. Solar Market
Insight 2022 Year in Review,
https://www.seia.org/state-
solar-policv/massachusetts-
solar
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 18
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Topic
Massachusetts
Data
Sources
Chart 2: RE-Powering projects represented about 7% to 16% of the overall
Massachusetts solar market each year between 2010 and 2017, before declining
to about 2% to 5% of new solar projects between 2018 and 2021, likely due to
land use and VNM saturation and other causes as described earlier in this
section.
RE-Powering Share of Annual Solar PV Installed Capacity in
Massachusetts
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
vA
/ X / \
v
X
0%
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/massachusetts/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 19
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Topic
Massachusetts
Data
Sources
Chart 3: This graph converts annual data into a cumulative trend. At the end of
2021, RE-Powering projects represented just under 10% of cumulative statewide
solar capacity, after being just above 13% 4 years earlier.
RE-Powering Share of CumulativeSolar PV Installed
Capacityin Massachusetts
20%
18%
16%
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
rnatrix
https://www.eia.gov/eiectricitv/
state/massachusetts/
14%
12%
10%
6%
4%
2%
0%
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 20
-------
Chart 4: This graph overlays the trend line of RE-Powering site market share (the
same line seen in Chart 3) with bars showing cumulative solar PV capacity in the
state on all types of sites.
RE-Powering Cumulative Market Share and
Total Solar PV Capacity in Massachusetts
4,000
3,500
2 3,000
£
£ 2,500
re
u
= 2,000
7, 1,500
>
I 1,000
3
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500
0
16%
14% |
on
c
12% |
10% *
c
o
£r
8% u
6% ^
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2% is
0%
2010 &
Before
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/massachusetts/
¦ Cumulative PV Capacity in State (MW)
-RE-Powering Market Share
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 21
-------
Massachusetts
Topic
Data
Sources
Chart 5: The annual path taken in Massachusetts to reach its total of 347 MW of
RE-Powering solar capacity through October 2022 is displayed. Between 2012
and 2018, Massachusetts installed 7 to 29 new RE-Powering projects each year.
Growth slowed beginning in 2018 due to market saturation, increased distances
between landfills and available distribution and transmission points of
interconnection, utility interconnection queue challenges, and declining state
incentives.
-------
Topic
Massachusetts
Data
Sources
General Electricity Market Factors
Power Prices
Massachusetts has higher-than-average electricity prices that, other factors being
equal, support renewable energy development. The national average retail
Retail electricity prices (in
2021):
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
electricity price paid by end-use consumers is 11.1 cents/kWh, while
Massachusetts' average price is 72% higher at 19.06 cents/kWh. Massachusetts
has the fourth highest retail electricity prices of the 50 states.
Wholesale electricity prices in the New England region containing Massachusetts
average 10.1 cents/kWh, which is 35% above the national average of 7.5
cents/kWh.
state/
Wholesale electricity prices in
2022 (generation-only electricity
prices: EIA, Annual Energy
Outlook 2023, Reference Case
Electric Power Projections by
Electricity Market Module
Region):
https://www.eia.g0v/0utl00ks/a
eo/tables ref.oho
Clean Energy Standard
Massachusetts has a Clean Energy Standard that "sets a minimum percentage of
electricity sales that utilities and competitive retail suppliers must procure from
htt os://www.mass.gov/service-
details/program-
summaries#:~:text=Clean%20En
clean energy sources. The minimum percentage begins at 16% in 2018 and
increases 2% annually to 80% in 2050."
ergv%20Sta n da rd%20(CES)&text
=The%20minimum%20percenta
ge%20begins%20at,of%20the%2
0RPS7o20ACP7o20thereafter
For More Information
State Energy Agency
POC
Samantha Meserve, Director, Renewable and Alternative Energy Division, Massachusetts Department of
Energy Resources: samantha.meserve@mass.gov
State Environmental
Agency POCs
Danah Tench, Director of Clean Energy and Climate Resilient Programs, Bureau of Planning and
Evaluation, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection: danah.tench@mass.gov
David Foss, Statewide Brownfields Coordinator, Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup, Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection: david.foss@mass.gov
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 23
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
Overview
New Jersey combines the highest population density of any state with significant renewable energy goals,
including specific carve-outs for solar generation. This has led New Jersey to focus on RE-Powering site reuse from
the outset of its solar incentive and procurement programs and to offer numerous other programs that reduce
the costs, timelines, and risks of developing solar projects on landfills and brownfields. As a result, New Jersey has
76 operating RE-Powering projects, the second highest total of any state. It also has the second highest installed
capacity of RE-Powering projects in the country.
The state has implemented and adapted its programs in ways that allow for steady growth of RE-Powering
projects. RE-Powering sites have continued to represent about 7% to 9% of the overall New Jersey solar market as
the market grew almost sixfold over the past decade. New Jersey has accomplished this consistent growth by
establishing a state-managed process in 2012 for landfill and brownfield projects to access SREC incentives;
supporting an innovative procurement program by the state's largest electric utility; providing attractive
incentives for RE-Powering sites in the transition program following SRECs, along with a community solar pilot
program that awarded approximately 45% of its Year 1 capacity and 25% of its Year 2 capacity to landfill and
brownfield projects; and by continuing site reuse preferences in its Successor Solar Incentive Program taking
effect in 2021 and 2022.
Three state agencies—the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection (NJDEP), and New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)—are actively involved in
administering RE-Powering programs and have several formal coordination mechanisms to accelerate and
simplify the renewable site assessment and development process, as well as sophisticated database and mapping
tools to aid site identification.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 24
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
Program Basics
Direct Financial
Incentives
Subsection (t) of New Jersey's Solar Act of 2012 established a certification process
whereby grid supply (i.e., front-of-the-meter) solar projects on brownfields, closed
landfills, and areas of historic fill can be eligible for the state's SREC incentives:
• NJBPU subsequently extended the Subsection (t) certification process to the
Transition Renewable Energy Certificate (TREC) program and established that
Subsection (t) projects would receive the full TREC factor (see below for more
information about TRECs).
• Subsection (t) is a mechanism to direct solar development projects away from
greenfields and toward preferred sites.
• Between April 2013 and July 2023, 91 solar projects applied for Subsection (t)
certification, and 30 of these projects representing 264 MWdc of capacity have been
fully certified and completed:
o Of these fully certified projects, all but two (a 20 MWdc project on historic fill
and 15 MWdc of a combined historic fill/landfill project) were entirely on
landfill or brownfield sites.
o Some of these certified projects are part of the Solar 4 All® program run by the
state's largest electric utility. See the Procurement Preferences or
Requirements section below for more information about Solar 4 All®.
• Subsection (t) also contains a process for conditional certification when NJDEP makes
a determination that further remedial action, or additional protective measures for a
closed landfill, is needed before a final certification decision can be made:
o As of July 2023, 18 projects representing 333 MWdc in total capacity are
conditionally certified. Projects with this status are typically under
construction. Another 11 projects representing 141 MWdc in total capacity are
pending review.
https://www.nicleanenergy.com
/renewable-energy/program-
updates/solar-act/solar-act-
proceedings-archive
https://www.nicleanenergy.com
/files/file/BPU/FY24/Subsection
°/o20t°/o20Proiect°/o20Status°/o20J
Ulv°/o205°/o202023.pdf
https://www.nicleanenergy.com
/files/file/BPU/FY24/Subsection
°/o20t°/o20Proiect°/o20Status°/o20J
Ulv°/o205°/o202023.pdf
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 25
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
After the original production-based solar incentive program (i.e., SREC) met its goal of
providing 5.1% of all electricity in the state in 2020, the TREC program came into effect:
• The TREC program, as its name denotes, is a transition program until New Jersey
implements a successor program.
• TRECs have a 15-year term and "factors" that differentiate for the type of solar
installation. Installations with a full (1.0) factor receive a TREC price of
$152/megawatt-hour (MWh) for their term:
o Landfill and brownfield projects (outside of the community solar pilot
program) were among those receiving full 1.0 factors; other site types have
factors that are as much as 40% lower.
o All community solar projects received TREC factors of 0.85, which is equivalent
to a TREC value of $129.20/MWh.
o A key characteristic of TRECs is that their value is fixed over their 15-year term,
offering revenue predictability to aid in financing and project development.
The TREC program ends after implementation of the Successor Solar Incentive Program
(SuSI Program).5 The SuSI Program has two subprograms, both of which provide
incentives via NJ SREC-lls:6
• Administratively Determined Incentive Program:
o Provides preset (through an administrative analysis process) incentive levels
for several types of solar projects up to 5 MW of capacity; all community solar
projects; and on an interim basis (until the other subprogram is implemented),
Subsection (t) projects:
https://nicleanenergy.com/rene
wable-
energy/programs/transition-
incentive-program
https://nicleanenergy.com/rene
wable-energy/program-
updates-and-background-
information/sola r-transit ion-
frequent Iv-asked-questions
https://www.nicleanenergy.com
/renewable-
energy/programs/communitv-
solar/FAQs#lncentives
https://nicleanenergy.com/rene
wable-energy/programs/susi-
program
https://www.nicleanenergy.com
/files/file/Solar%20Transition/FY
22/NEW°/o20JERSEY°/o20REGISTE
R%20 %20Successor%20Solar%
20lncentive%20Program%20Rul
e%20Proposal%20August%2016
.pdf
5 The TREC program closed to new registrations on August 27, 2021, with two exceptions: (1) Subsection (t) applications under review as of that date will be allowed to register for the TREC program if
they are conditionally certified by the NJBPU, and (2) projects conditionally approved under the second year of the Community Solar Energy Pilot Program will be allowed to register for the TREC
program.
6 NJ SREC-II refers to the incentive mechanism in the successor version of New Jersey's SREC program. New Jersey's production-based solar incentives began with SRECs, then utilized TRECs for a
transition period until the SuSI Program with SREC-II incentives was developed. It is labeled "NJ SREC-II" in this document to distinguish the New Jersey program from "SREC-II," which is the name of
Massachusetts' second SREC program.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 26
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
¦ The incentive is $90/MWh for community solar projects with at least 51%
of their capacity dedicated to low- and moderate-income (LMI) subscribers
(and $70/MWh for projects with less than 51% of capacity dedicated to
LMI subscribers), with 15-year NJ SREC-II regulatory agreements providing
that compensation. Community solar projects in New Jersey are commonly
on RE-Powering sites (see the Procurement Preferences or Requirements
section below).
¦ The incentive is $100/MWh for a 15-year term for Subsection (t) projects
approved during the interim period.
• Competitive Solar Incentive Program:
o Provides competitively determined incentives for grid supply projects
(including Subsection (t) after the interim period) and large net metered,
nonresidential projects (with a capacity above 5 MW).
o The subprogram's first competitive solicitation has closed, and bids were due
on March 31, 2023.
The Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund, administered jointly by NJDEP and
NJEDA, is a grant and loan program that supports brownfield redevelopment by funding
preliminary environmental assessments, remedial investigations, and portions of
remedial actions:
• One of the program's funding options is specific to renewable energy:
o This option offers grants covering up to 75% of the costs of remedial actions
for projects involving the redevelopment of a property for renewable energy.
• The program provides up to $10 million annually across renewable energy, affordable
housing, and recreation and conservation purposes.
https://nicleanenergy.com/rene
wable-energy/programs/susi-
program/csi-program
https://www.ni.gov/dep/srp/fin
ance/hdsrf/
https://www.nieda.com/public
information/adopted/
https://www.nieda.com/hdsrf/
htt ps ://w w w .ni.gov/dep/srp/fin
ance/hdsrf/hdsrf chart.htm
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 27
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
Procurement
New Jersey's Clean Energy Act of 2018 established a Community Solar Energy Pilot
https://nicleanenergv.com/rene
wable-
energv/Drograms/communitv-
Preferences or
Program that allows residential and business electricity customers to subscribe to output
Requirements
from specific solar projects:
• Evaluation criteria include strong preferences for brownfields, landfills, areas of
historic fill, rooftops, and parking canopies. There is a large environmental justice
component to the program, with at least 51% of program capacity being dedicated to
LMI communities:
solar
o In late 2019, NJBPU awarded 78 MWdc of capacity in the first year of the pilot
httos://www.ni.gov/bou/Ddf/bo
ardorders/2019/20191220/12-
program:
20-19-8D.pdf
¦ Among Year 1 awards, nine projects (with 33 MWdc of combined capacity)
were on landfills, and one project of 2 MWdc was on a brownfield. In total,
this means that 45% of all Year 1 capacity was on RE-Powering sites.
o Among total program Year 2 awards of 165 MWdc, nine projects7 (with 36
httDs://ni.gov/bou/Ddf/boardor
ders/2021/20211028/8J7o200R
MWdc of combined capacity) were on landfills, and one project of
DER%20Communitv%20Solar%2
5 MWdc was on a brownfield. In total, this means that 25% of all Year 2
0PY2%20Awards.Ddf
capacity was on RE-Powering sites.
7 One of the projects in this landfill total is on a site listed as a hybrid landfill/brownfield/area of historic fill.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 28
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
o See the Direct Financial Incentives section above for information on
compensation for community solar projects.
New Jersey issued a proposal with draft rules for a permanent Community Solar Energy
Program, with comments due in May 2023:
https://nicleanenergv.com/rene
wable-
• Earlier "stakeholder feedback received on [project siting] supports the continued use
energv/Drograms/communitv-
solar
of land-use and siting restrictions set in the Pilot. Specifically, the development of
https://ni.gov/bDu/Ddf/publicno
community solar projects on preferred sites [rooftops, parking lots, floating solar,
brownfields, areas of historic fill, or properly closed sanitary landfill facilities]."
tice/Notice%20%20Communitv
%20Solar%20Straw%20ProDosal
%20with%20Draft%20Rules.Ddf
• For the permanent program, NJBPU "Staff recommends updating the definition of
'brownfields, areas of historic fill, or properly closed sanitary landfill' to conform to
the new definition of 'contaminated site or landfill' included in the Solar Act of 2021.
As part of the new definition, Staff notes that it now allows siting of preferred
resources on associated disturbed areas," with limitations.
New Jersey's largest electric utility, Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G), is nearing the
httos://www3.eoa.gov/swerrim
conclusion of its implementation of a 158-MWdc program, Solar 4 All®, to place solar
projects on preferred sites in its territory. Landfills and brownfields are among the
s/module5/storv content/exter
nal files/20.7o20PSEG7o20solar4
all factsheet%20.odf
preferred site types:
• Solar 4 All® projects have been certified through the Solar Act's Subsection (t) process.
Through late 2019, six of the 34 Solar 4 All® projects were on landfills, with five others on
httos://ni. oseg.com/newsroom/
brownfields. These 11 projects on RE-Powering sites have a combined capacity of more
newsreleasel04
than 80 MWdc.
Streamlined
The NJDEP Office of Permitting and Project Navigation (OPPN) coordinates various
httos://www.ni.gov/deo/Dcer/
Permitting &
federal and state environmental reviews, as well as the overall environmental permitting
Environmental
process of large and complex projects across NJDEP programs. Doing so improves time
Reviews
efficiency, internal and external consistency, and the predictability of permitting:
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 29
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
Site
Identification
&
Development
Support
• A centerpiece of OPPN is a permit coordination meeting that helps the renewable
developer ascertain the timeline and the necessary steps for obtaining permits for a
project:
o The OPPN process includes a Permit Readiness Checklist form.
o Renewable energy projects typically have a single NJDEP point of contact
throughout the permitting process.
• New Jersey also has a statute allowing solar on a closed landfill as an approved use
regardless of the zoning, allowing projects to bypass variance processes and go
straight to the local Planning Board for site plan review and approval.
New Jersey makes available a variety of databases, mapping tools, and a guide to aid in
site identification and evaluation:
• The databases include those for contaminated sites, landfills, and abandoned mines.
• The mapping tools include the New Jersey Community Solar PV Siting Tool, which
integrates utility "hosting capacity" information (the ability of the utility grid to absorb
new generation capacity at various points of interconnection) among its many data
layers:
o An example from this community solar PV tool is on the next page.
htt ps ://w w w . n i .gov/d ep/ds h w/s
wp/solarguidance.pdf
https://www.state.ni.us/dep/sr
p/kcsni/
https://www.ni.gOv/dep/dshw/l
rm/landinfo.htm
https://nidep.maps.arcgis.com/
home/galler\/.html?view=grid&s
ortOrder=desc&sortField=modifi
ed
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 30
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Education &
Outreach
General
Brownfield
Reuse
As a complement to its data products, NJDEP published the Solar Siting Analysis
Update, describing sites where the agency "would encourage solar installations from
those where [it] would discourage solar installations, based on their land use and
characteristics." This guide is based on detailed geographic information system
analysis.
NJDEP's Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste publishes Guidance for the Permitting of
Solar Energy Systems on New Jersey Landfills:
• This document includes descriptions of the step-by-step permitting process, NJDEP's
"one-stop" permit coordination, elements of closure and post-closure plans, and
special issues faced by solar projects.
New Jersey has several programs that encourage brownfield reuse without a specific
emphasis on renewables. These programs include a financial incentive, loans and grants,
an assistance hub, and a unique community partnership model:
https://www.state.ni.us/dep/aq
es/solar-siting.html
https://www.state.rii.us/dep/aa
es/SSAFINAL.pdf
https://www.r1i.g0v/dep/dshw/s
wp/solarguidance.pdf
https://www.nieda.gov/brownfi
eld-redevelopment-incentive/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 31
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The Brownfield Redevelopment Incentive is a competitive program that will provide
tax credits for the remediation of brownfields:
o Individual projects are eligible for 50% to 60% of actual or projected
remediation costs up to a $4 million maximum tax credit (or up to
$8 million in distressed areas),
o The program budget is $50 million per year, and the program is administered
by NJEDA.
o The Brownfields Loan Program, with similar overall goals, closed to new
applications in April 2021.
The Brownfields Impact Fund is a program administered by NJEDA that provides loans
and grants for the remediation of brownfields. The grant portion is currently closed.
This program is supported by an EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grant.
Brownfields Planning and Assessment Services is another program administered by
NJEDA, and it provides free assessments for properties with known or suspected
contamination. This program is supported by an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant:
o Eligible activities include Phase I environmental site assessments, preliminary
assessments, site investigations, and/or remedial investigations. Both privately
and publicly owned properties are eligible for this program.
NJ Brownfields Assistance Center @ NJIT is managed by the New Jersey Institute of
Technology (NJIT) and offers tools and resources for reclamation and redevelopment
of brownfield sites:
o Leadership of the NJ Brownfields Assistance Center is shared with "NJIT's
federally funded program called Technical Assistance to Brownfield
Communities, formed in 2008."
The Community Collaborative Initiative is an innovative, hands-on program that
assigns NJDEP staff to work closely with communities to design and implement
creative reuse and revitalization plans for complex local environmental problems:
https://www.ni.gov/governor/n
ews/news/562021/approved/20
210208a.shtml
https://www.nieda.gov/activepr
ograms/
https://www.nieda.gov/brownfi
eldsimpactfund/
https://www.nieda.gov/brownfi
elds-planning-and-assessment-
services/
https://www.niit.edu/nibrownfi
elds/
https://news.niit.edu/niit-
launches-ni-brownfields-
assistance-center
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 32
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New Jersey
Topic
Data
Sources
o There is a single NJDEP liaison for each participating community. This program
https://www.ni.gov/dep/cci/Dro
gram.html
involves in-depth and consistent community engagement, which can be
necessary to solve complex environmental problems.
o While renewable energy projects do not appear to be part of the solutions to
date, they may be included in future efforts.
Interagency
There is substantial, proactive interagency coordination among NJBPU, NJDEP, and
Coordination
NJEDA for RE-Powering site renewable energy development:
• Coordination occurs between NJBPU and NJDEP in sequenced reviews of Subsection
https://www.ni.g0v/dep/aaes/0
(t) applications to the main solar financial incentive program in the state:
pea-solar.html
o NJBPU and NJDEP also meet monthly to (1) discuss the progress of renewable
projects on RE-Powering sites that are known to be in development, and (2)
stay abreast of changes in rules, regulations, and technical requirements that
may affect RE-Powering sites.
• NJDEP and NJEDA perform sequential reviews of applications to the Hazardous
Discharge Site Remediation Fund. The initial application is submitted to NJDEP, where
a technical review is performed. When approved, NJDEP forwards the
htt ps ://w w w .ni.gov/dep/srp/fin
ance/hdsrf/
recommendation for funding to NJEDA, where a financial review is performed and
funds are allocated.
• NJDEP, NJBPU, and NJEDA also collaborate to inform their state's strategic funding
plan for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative proceeds.
Program Best Practices/Success Factors
Significant
New Jersey has offered financial incentive and procurement programs for RE-Powering sites for a decade and has
Financial
maintained and adapted its site preferences through three major evolutions of its solar incentive program—from
Incentives &
SREC to TREC to the SuSI Program. The level and consistency of direct financial and procurement support for
Procurement
landfill and brownfield solar projects, along with the complementary Solar 4 All® program of the state's largest
Preferences
utility, are the main reasons that New Jersey has the second most RE-Powering projects and capacity of any state.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 33
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Topic
New Jersey
Data Sources
Establishment
of Programs
with Flexibility
New Jersey established and managed the Subsection (t) program in a manner that has supported steady growth
of the solar market in general and the specific market for solar on preferred site types. New Jersey has also
prevented the crowding out of residential and commercial solar projects by larger utility-scale projects and
maintained attractive and predictable levels of SREC prices.
Consistent
Emphasis on
Land Reuse
New Jersey has the nation's highest population density of any state, and there is an imperative across state
agencies to encourage reuse of RE-Powering sites that can help meet state environmental and economic
development goals. To facilitate reuse, New Jersey has implemented numerous programs that can benefit
renewable projects on RE-Powering sites, including the Community Solar PV Siting Tool that speeds the
identification of promising RE-Powering sites by integrating utility data on available hosting capacity for
interconnecting new projects.
Broad Political
& Stakeholder
Support
Across administrations of political parties and highly involved stakeholder processes to define successor incentive
programs, New Jersey has maintained its focus on a growing, stable solar market with an emphasis on site reuse.
Extensive
Intra-Agency &
Interagency
Coordination
New Jersey has several coordination mechanisms to carefully track and advance renewable projects on landfills
and brownfields. It has a central permit coordination process inside NJDEP, as well as interagency processes to
review program applications between NJBPU and NJDEP and between NJEDA and NJDEP.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 34
-------
Topic
New Jersey
Data
Sources
Achievements to Date
RE-Powering
Data on All
Renewable
Technologies
(as of Oct. 2022)
• 76 operational projects8 (second highest total in the country, trailing only
Massachusetts).
• 376 MW of capacity (second highest total in the country, trailing only California).
o All of these projects are solar.
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
Comparison
with Total
Renewable
Energy
Capacity in
the State
As of 2021, New Jersey had the following:
• 3,418 MW of solar PV capacity.9
• 10 MW of wind capacity.
As of 2021, RE-Powering projects (with 310 MW of capacity) represent the following:
• 9% of cumulative solar PV capacity statewide.
• 0% of cumulative wind capacity statewide (there are no RE-Powering wind projects
identified in the state).
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/newiersev/
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
8 The number of RE-Powering projects and their capacity for each state is based on EPA's October 2022 RE-Powering Tracking Matrix. Since the time of publication, EPA has learned about additional
solar projects in New Jersey. EPA is working to include the projects in the next annual update of the RE-Powering Tracking Matrix. At the time of this publication, EPA has identified a total of 83
operational projects and additional megawatts of generation capacity for New Jersey.
9 As of June 30, 2023, New Jersey has about 4,500 MW of installed solar PV capacity. See NJBPU, Solar Activity Reports, Installation Report, https://www.nicleanenergy.com/renewable-
energv/proiect-activitv-reports/proiect-activitv-reports.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 35
-------
Topic
New Jersey
Data
Sources
Solar
Deployment
Trends in the
State
New Jersey has the eighth most total solar capacity of any state. As the overall solar
market in New Jersey has grown by approximately 200 to 450 MW annually over the past
decade, the share of RE-Powering projects in the market stayed at or above
approximately 6% each year. This stability was due to a concerted state effort to maintain
the pace of renewable development on landfills and brownfields, as well as the
Subsection (t) and PSE&G Solar 4 All® program mechanisms that allow a high degree of
control over the timing of new utility-scale projects on these sites.
The remainder of this section contains five charts on deployment trends in New Jersey. All
but the first chart were developed by EPA and its contractors based on the RE-Powering
Tracking Matrix data and EIA overall statewide data.
Chart 1: By policy design, New Jersey has had consistent levels of solar deployment from
a blend of residential, commercial, and utility-scale projects during the past decade. With
the recent launch of a community solar pilot program and its expansion in the SuSI
Program, the share of community solar may grow in future years.
Solar Energy Industries
Association and Wood
Mackenzie Power &
Renewables, U.S. Solar Market
Insight 2022 Year in Review,
https://www.seia.org/state-
solar-policv/new-iersev-solar
https://seia.org/sites/default/fil
es/2023-
03/SEIA ToplO Solar States 2
022-YIR°/o20copy.pdf
New Jersey Annual Solar Installations
¦
§" 300
s
fr
O
^ 200
|
¦
|
¦
—
¦
m
flS
O
¦
|
¦
B
m
¦
100
o
¦
I
1
2014
2015
2016 2017 2018 2019
| Residential Commercial | Community Solar | Utility
2020
2021
2022
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 36
-------
Topic
New Jersey
Data
Sources
Chart 2: RE-Powering solar projects have represented at least 6% of New Jersey's overal
solar market each year from 2011 through 2021.
RE-Powering Share of Annual Solar PV Installed
Capacity in New Jersey
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/newiersev/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 37
-------
Topic
New Jersey
Data
Sources
Chart 3: This graph converts annua! data into a cumulative trend, ending with
RE-Powering projects representing 9% of cumulative statewide solar capacity in 2021.
RE-Powering Share of Cumulative Solar PV Installed
Capacity in New Jersey
10%
9%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Before
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
https://www.epa.gov/re-
PQweririg/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/newiersev/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 38
-------
Topic
New Jersey
Data
Sources
Chart 4: This graph overlays the trend line of RE-Powering site market share (the same
line seen in Chart 3) with bars showing cumulative solar PV capacity in the state on all
types of sites. RE-Powering sites continued to represent about 7% to 9% of the overall
New Jersey solar market, even as the market grew almost sixfold from 2011 to 2021.
RE-Powering Cumulative Market Share and
Total Solar PV Capacity in New Jersey
4,000
' 3,500
3,000
' 2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
.III
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
&
Before
10%
9%
8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
I Cumulative PV Capacity in State (MW)
-RE-Powering Market Share
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/eiectricitv/
state/newiersev/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 39
-------
New Jersey
Topic Data Sources
Chart 5: The annual path taken in New Jersey to reach its total of 376 MW of RE-Powering
solar capacity through October 2022 is displayed.
Number of RE-Powering Solar PV Installations in New Jersey
250 s
- 100 u
Completion Year
I Annual # of Projects
-Cumulative Capacity (MW)
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
Power Prices
General Electricity Market Factors
New Jersey has higher-than-average retail electricity prices that, other factors being
equal, support renewable energy development. The national average retail electricity
price paid by end-use consumers is 11.1 cents/kWh, while New Jersey's average price is
26% higher at 14.01 cents/kWh. New Jersey's retail electricity prices are the 10th highest
of the 50 states.
Wholesale electricity prices in the PJM East Region containing New Jersey average 6.6
cents/kWh, which is 12% below the national average of 7.5 cents/kWh.
Retail electricity prices (in
2021):
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/
Wholesale electricity prices in
2022 (generation-only electricity
prices: EIA, Annual Energy
Outlook 2023, Reference Case
Electric Power Projections by
Electricity Market Module
Region):
https://www.eia.g0v/0utl00ks/a
eo/tables ref.php
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 40
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Topic
New Jersey
Data Sources
Clean Energy
Standard
New Jersey's Executive Order 315, issued in February 2023, establishes that 100% of the https://ni.sov/infobank/eo/056
murohv/Ddf/EO-315.Ddf
state's electricity must come from clean energy sources by 2035.
For More Information
State Energy
Agency POC
B. Scott Hunter, Manager, Division of Clean Energy, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities:
beniamin.hunter@bpu.ni.gov
State
Environmental
Agency POCs
David Pepe, Director, Office of Permitting and Project Navigation, New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection: david.pepe@dep.ni.gov
Frank McLaughlin, Manager, Office of Brownfield & Community Revitalization, New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection: frank.mclaughlin@dep.ni.gov
Steve Myers, Supervisor, Clean Energy Section, Climate Change, Clean Energy & Sustainability Element, New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: stephen.mvers@dep.ni.gov
State Economic
Development
Agency POC
Elizabeth Limbrick, Director of Brownfields & Sustainable Systems, New Jersey Economic Development Authority:
brownfields@nieda.com
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 41
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New York State
Topic
Data
Sources
Overview
New York has the third highest number and sixth highest capacity of renewable projects on RE-Powering sites
of any state. This renewable development has been supported by easily accessible direct financial incentives,
streamlined permitting and environmental reviews, and a playbook with templates to help municipalities
advance solar projects on RE-Powering sites. The financial incentives were increased in recent years, with a
focus on sustainability and climate resilience on remediation projects.
In July 2019, New York enacted the Climate Act, which mandates that 70% of the state's electricity will be
generated from renewable energy by 2030, 100% of the state's electricity will be zero emissions by 2040, and
at least 35% of the benefits will be directed toward underserved communities. In April 2020, the Benefit Act
was passed into law as part of the fiscal year 2020-2021 state budget. The Benefit Act helps New York reach
Climate Act goals by accelerating the deployment of large-scale renewable energy projects (often greater
than 20 MW of capacity) and ensuring benefits to project host communities. The Benefit Act has an emphasis
on siting new projects on underutilized lands.
The Benefit Act directed the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to
develop and implement the Build-Ready Program to advance large-scale renewable energy projects on
underutilized lands, including, but not limited to, landfills and brownfields, and to deliver benefits to project
host communities. The Build-Ready Program identifies, vets, and progresses underutilized sites until they can
be competitively auctioned as low-risk renewable energy projects for construction and operation by the
private market. This poses an opportunity and a challenge for landfills and brownfields; the opportunity is
major development assistance from a well-funded and experienced state agency, and the challenge is
identifying RE-Powering sites greater than approximately 50 acres that are good candidates for Build-Ready.
Potential Build-Ready sites started being identified in mid-2020, with several RE-Powering projects currently
under active development, and the first completed auction of a 20 MW solar project on a former mine site
expected in 2023.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 42
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Topic
New York State
Data Sources
Program Basics
Direct Financial
Incentives
NYSERDA's NY-Sun Program offers the MW Block incentive (an upfront, click on "Available incentives" at
https://www.nvserda.nv.Rov/All-
capacity-based incentive) that is available to approved solar contractors and Programs/Programs/NY-
developers for projects up to 7.5 MWdc of capacity. In addition to the base sun/contractors/Doing-soiar-
Business
incentives in that program, brownfield and landfill projects in much of the state are
eligible for an additional incentive—the brownfield/landfill adder. The adder is
0.15/wattDc (equal to $150/kilowattDc [I
-------
Topic
New York State
Data
Sources
Streamlined
Permitting &
Environmental
Reviews
Landfill and brownfield solar projects of 25 acres or fewer can qualify as Type II
actions not requiring further evaluation under the State Environmental Quality
Review Act (SEQRA). SEQRA is also known as "mini-NEPA" due to its similarities to
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):
• A brownfield site must have a Brownfield Cleanup Program certificate of
completion (or be an Environmental Restoration Project site that receives a
certificate of completion) to qualify for this expedited process.
• SEQRA applies to projects under 20 MW of capacity and those between 20 MW
and 25 MW that do not opt into the Office of Renewable Energy Siting
permitting process.
Landfills, brownfields, and other repurposed commercial or industrial sites receive
expedited review from the new Office of Renewable Energy Siting that was
established to provide faster, more predictable permit reviews:
• Complete permit applications for landfills, brownfields, and other repurposed
sites are acted on within 6 months, while permit applications for other (not
repurposed) sites receive final decisions within 12 months.
• All new renewable energy projects above 25 MW of capacity must go through
the Office of Renewable Energy Siting permitting process, and new projects
between 20 MW and 25 MW and certain existing projects can opt into this
office's permitting process.
https://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Programs/Clean-
Energy-Siting/Solar-Guidebook
https://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Programs/Clean-
Energy-Siting/Siting-for-Large-
Scale-Renewables/Office-of-
Renewable-Energy-Siting
https://ores.nv.gov/svstem/files/
documents/2021/03/chapter-
xviii-title-19-of-nvcrr-part-900-
subparts-900-l-through-900-
15.pdf
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 44
-------
New York State
Topic
Data
Sources
Liability Relief
The Brownfield Cleanup Program provides liability protection for applicants who
remediate and develop brownfield sites for renewable energy projects (and
incentivizes such remediation and redevelopment through tax credits; see the
Direct Financial Incentives section above).
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) also has
provided liability protection to state authorities and solar developers in
memoranda of agreement for solar energy generation infrastructure placed on
hazardous waste-contaminated sites, with the possibility, although not the
certainty, of extending the liability protection to successors and assigns of the
parties to the memoranda of agreement.
Site
Identification &
Development
Support
Build-Ready is a program launched in mid-2020 wherein the state (through
NYSERDA) directly advances underutilized sites for large-scale renewable
development:
• The program seeks to avoid competing with the private sector; instead, it is
pursuing sites that would otherwise not be developed:
o The official name of the program is the Clean Energy Resources
Development and Incentive Program, but it is known as the Build-Ready
Program.
• Landfills and brownfields are among the underutilized site categories that are
eligible for the Build-Ready Program:
o Land-based renewable energy technologies that are eligible for Tier 1
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are eligible for Build-Ready
projects. The Build-Ready Program is also pairing battery storage with
many renewable energy projects.
o There is no official minimum site size, but due to the Build-Ready
Program's emphasis on large-scale renewable energy projects, sites will
likely be a minimum of 50 acres.
https://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII%
20Programs/Programs/Clean%20
Energy%20Standard/l_andowners
%20and%20l_ocal%20Governmen
ts/Build%20Readv%20Program
http://documents.dps.nv.gov/pu
blic/Common/ViewDoc.aspx?Doc
Refld=°/o7BB0F6CC45-490C-48A7-
B0FB-6D3C7924993C°/o7D
https://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Clean-Energy-
Standard/Renewable-Generators-
and-Developers/RES-Tier-One-
EI i g i b i I itv/E I i g i b i I itv
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 45
-------
• The Build-Ready Program takes a multi-tiered diligence approach to
identifying, screening, and assessing sites (see graphic on the next page). Sites
that appear to be the most viable undergo more detailed assessment and
project development activities:
o There is a program goal of competitively auctioning large projects
"bundled with contracts for renewable energy payments, to provide a
de-risked package for private developers to construct and operate
projects."
o These activities include not only technical and economic matters, but
also close collaboration with the host community to ensure that the
municipality and its stakeholders are in support of and benefit from the
project under consideration.
o Auctions occur for late-stage development projects.
https://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Build-Readv-Program
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 46
-------
Potential Project Site ID
Communities
Local elected officals
State Agencies
BrownfleW/landfi II redevelopment
Alignment with statewide grid planning
Co-use
For more information: NYSERDA,
Clean Energy Resources
Development and Incentives: The
Build-Ready Program Annual
Progress Report 2022, Final
Report, April 2023.
Aactiofl
Competitively Award
Build Ready Protects
Private Sector
Constructs, Owns,
ft S ®
T T
Build-Ready had screened more than 10,800 sites through 2022:
o In the table on the next page, sites still advancing through the Build-
Ready pipeline are summarized by site type.10
htt psi/'/www.nvserda. nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Ciean-Energy-
Standard/Laridowners-and- Local-
Governments/Build-Readv-
Program
10 When interpreting the table, contaminated sites include landfills, brownfields, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act sites, and Superfund sites. Also, "it's important to note that many sites
categorized as federal, State, or municipally owned may also have another underlying site characteristic such as contamination; however, if the dominant characteristic is federal, State, or municipally
owned, then it's labeled as such." NYSERDA, Clean Energy Resources Development and Incentives: The Build-Ready Program Annual Progress Report 2022, Final ReportApril 2023, p. 4,
https://www.nvserda.ny.gov/AII-Programs/Clean-Enerev-Standard/Landowners-and-Local-Governments/Build-Ready-Program.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 47
-------
New York State
Topic
Data
Sources
Site Type
Number of
Sites
Commercial/Industrial
152
Contaminated Site
120
Mine
50
Underutilized
51
Federal, State or Municipally
Owned
39
Electric Generating Site
15
This table shows that 120 contaminated sites and 50 mines are in the
program's pipeline as of the end of 2022. The program's annual report also
describes specific projects that are under active development, including the
following:
o Three solar projects on publicly owned landfills, with a combined
capacity of 52 MW, each with a site control memorandum of
understanding (MOD) with NYSERDA and that have completed some
environmental studies and interconnection assessments.
o In addition, NYSERDA has completed site control MOUs and certain
environmental investigations and feasibility assessments for two 10 MW
solar projects, one on a brownfield and the other on a former mine,
o A 20 MW solar project sited on an unused mine tailings pile at Benson
Mines Inc., a privately owned former iron-ore mine in St. Lawrence
County, is the most advanced project in the Build-Ready pipeline and is
targeted for auction to the private market in 2023.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 48
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New York State
Topic Data Sources
Pre-construction development activities led by NYSERDA can include site control
via a lease option agreement, preliminary project design, project permitting,
progressing interconnection, and developing a Host Community Benefits
package to provide local benefits:
o The Host Community Benefits package for each project will be
determined in close consultation with the community and could include
payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements, financial support for local
improvement projects, workforce development and training, utility bill
discounts to local residents, or other needs identified by the community.
Build-Ready estimated up to $71.8 million in total expenditures in its first 5
years and has obtained approval for an allocation of $50 million from the state's
Clean Energy Fund to initiate the program:
o Through 2022, Build-Ready expended a total of $5.5 million.
o It is anticipated that any difference between estimated expenditures and
initial state funding should be covered by the project auction fees that
are expected to start arriving in 2023.
Build-Ready auction proceeds will be used to reimburse the initial funding
from the Clean Energy Fund and, once repaid, will be reinvested into the
program.
Six new full-time equivalent positions were called for at Build-Ready program
creation, covering specialties including "project management, prospecting,
project development, permitting, and legal support." The program also can
access a larger group of contractor staff. This significant in-house and contractor
personnel commitment reflects the importance of accelerating large-scale
renewable development for meeting New York's renewable energy goal and the
state's strong desire to encourage renewables beyond greenfield sites to
achieve land use and community development objectives.
https://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Clean-Energy-
Standard/Landowners-and-Local-
Governments/Build-Readv-
Program
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 49
-------
New York State
Topic
Data
Sources
In addition to Build-Ready, NYSDEC maintains databases to aid in the identification
of RE-Powering sites for reuse and the DECinfo Locator site mapping tool with
numerous data layers.
https://www.dec.nv.gov/chemica
1/8437.html
Hazardous waste sites across all NYSDEC remediation programs are evaluated on a
site-specific basis to determine the feasibility for renewable energy implementation.
https://www.dec.nv.gov/pubs/10
9457.html
Education &
Outreach
The Municipal Solar Procurement Toolkit is intended for "local governments
looking to lease existing underutilized land for solar development":
• This step-by-step guide includes a Request for Proposals template, model local
laws for solar development, and information on PILOT agreements.
• PILOT agreements are particularly relevant because New York Real Property Tax
Law § 487 "provides a 15-year real property tax exemption for properties
located in New York State with renewable energy systems," applicable to
renewable system added value. A local government not opting out of the
property tax exemption can still benefit financially from renewable systems
through PILOT agreements.
Photovoltaic Solar Projects Located at Closed Solid Waste Landfills "describes the
procedure and considerations ... when reviewing PV solar projects located at closed
solid waste landfills and identifies the required information that must be provided
for review and approval of these projects."
Solar Panel Construction Stormwater Permitting/SWPPP Guidance outlines the
construction general permit and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
design requirements for different types of solar projects.
https://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Programs/NY-
Sun/Communities-and-Local-
Governments/Solar-Guidebook-
for-Local-Governments
https://www.dec.nv.gov/docs/ma
terials minerals pdf/dmmlfsolar.
£df
https://www.garnetenergycenter
.com/wp-
content/uploads/2021/06/Appen
dix-23-4.-NYSDEC-Solar-Panel-
Construction-Stormwater-
Permitting-and-SWPPP-
Guidance.pdf
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 50
-------
New York State
Topic
Data
Sources
General
The Brownfield Cleanup Program administered by NYSDEC removes "some of the
https://www.dec.nv.gov/chemica
1/8450.html
Brownfield
barriers to and provides tax incentives for the redevelopment of urban
Reuse
brownfields":
• The program connects to an expedited SEQRA environmental review process
httDs://www.dec.nv.eov/chemica
(see the Streamlined Permitting & Environmental Reviews section above).
1/101350.html
• Although this program has not frequently been used for renewable energy reuse
to date, it can complement the funding available from direct renewable energy
incentives for brownfield sites (e.g., NY-Sun MW Block incentive and adder for
landfill/brownfield solar projects) to improve net economics for qualifying
renewable projects. See the Direct Financial Incentives section above for
additional information on the program.
The Brownfield Opportunity Area Program, administered by the New York
httDs://dos.nv.eov/svstem/files/d
ocuments/2020/03/dos-boa-fact-
sheet 2020.pdf
Department of State, provides grants that can cover a variety of assessment,
planning, and local law change activities:
• Designated Brownfield Opportunity Areas allow developers in the Brownfield
Cleanup Program to (1) receive a tax credit increase if the redevelopment plan is
consistent with state and community goals, and (2) receive "priority and
preference for some state grant programs."
The State Superfund Program also advances renewable energy projects through the
cleanup of hazardous waste sites:
• Renewable energy projects can be incorporated within the design and
construction phase to power the construction of the remedy and/or operation
of the remedy itself (i.e., soil or groundwater treatment).
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 51
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Topic
New York State
Data Sources
Interagency
Coordination
Interagency coordination occurs among NYSDEC, NYSERDA, the New York Power
Authority, and New York State Canals (as well as with municipal agencies) to help
ensure that collective renewable energy goals are met. For example, coordination
with New York State Canals on the potential reuse of navigable dredge material as
remedial backfill can help make grades suitable and/or attractive for solar project
development.
Program Best Practices/Success Factors
Focus on
Barriers to
Project
Development
Build-Ready (as well as the fast-track reviews for landfills and brownfields in the Office of Renewable Energy
Siting) addresses the development costs and risks of large-scale projects on underutilized sites by using state
resources to identify and advance the best of these sites until they are de-risked and then auctioning them to
the private market for construction and operation:
• This program takes advantage of the considerable scale of NYSERDA, which goes beyond energy agencies
in many states.
The Municipal Solar Procurement Toolkit (with document templates and model laws) is an actionable toolkit
for developing underutilized lands for solar. Along with providing information about expedited SEQRA
reviews for landfills and brownfields, it supports the development of solar projects of various sizes by
providing templates and resources that can help reduce contractual and permitting time, cost, and
complexity barriers.
Significant
Financial
Incentives
For solar projects on brownfield and landfill sites (especially those with relatively large capacity), the MW
Block incentive adder of 15 cents/wattoc is an important contributor to economic returns.
The Build-Ready Program's ability to include a Renewable Energy Credit Agreement as part of a project's
auction package provides a significant financial incentive for the private market.
Broad Political &
Stakeholder
Support
Build-Ready was enabled by a combination of support from the governor, legislature, renewable developers,
and environmental organizations (especially those emphasizing land use issues). It was developed in the
context of the state's 70% renewable electricity by 2030 requirement.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 52
-------
New York State
Topic
Data
Sources
Achievements to Date
RE-Powering
Data on All
•
•
50 operational projects (third highest total in the country).
169 MW of capacity (sixth highest total in the country).
httDs://www.eoa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
Renewable
Technologies (as
of Oct. 2022)
•
Two Steel Winds projects (at a former steel mill) have a combined capacity of 35
MW; the other projects with capacity listed consist of 46 solar PV projects and 1
small geothermal project:11
o As is the case in many other states, individual RE-Powering wind projects
in New York tend to be much larger than RE-Powering solar projects,
with the two Steel Winds projects having 26% as much capacity as the 46
RE-Powering solar projects in the state combined.
Comparison with
Total Renewable
Energy Capacity
in the State
As of 2021, New York had the following:
• 3,620 MW of solar PV capacity.
• 2,200 MW of wind capacity.
https://www.eia.gOv/electricitv/s
tate/newvork/
As of 2021, RE-Powering projects (with 125 MW of solar capacity and 35 MW of
wind capacity) comprise the following:
httDs://www.eoa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
•
3% of cumulative solar PV capacity statewide.
•
2% of cumulative wind capacity statewide.
11 There is one additional wind project without capacity listed in the RE-Powering Tracking Matrix.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 53
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Topic
New York State
Data
Sources
Solar
Deployment
Trends in the
State
New York has seen steady deployment of RE-Powering solar projects over the past
decade, with three to six new projects in most years. This has led to New York
consistently being one of the top states in RE-Powering activity. However, the
overall solar market in New York greatly accelerated between 2015 and 2021 (New
York now has the 10th most solar capacity of any state), decreasing the relative
share of RE-Powering projects in the market.
The remainder of this section contains five charts on deployment trends in New
York. All but the first chart were developed by EPA and its contractors based on
RE-Powering Tracking Matrix data and EIA overall statewide data.
https://seia.org/sites/default/file
s/2023-
03/SEIA ToplO Solar States 202
2-YIR%20copy.pdf
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 54
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Chart 1: Historically, the overall pace of utility-scale solar development has lagged
behind other types of solar projects in New York. However, utility-scale deployment
accelerated starting in 2018. Community solar projects reflect a rapidly growing
market segment in the state, and the overall solar market continues to grow year-
over-year in New York.
New York Annual Solar Installations
r
s
¦ Ill
Solar Energy Industries
Association and Wood Mackenzie
Power & Renewables, U.S. Solar
Market Insight 2022 Year in
Review,
https://www.seia.org/state-solar-
policv/new-vork-solar
2018 2019
Community Solar Utility
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 55
-------
Topic
New York State
Data
Sources
Chart 2: RE-Powering solar projects represented a large share of the New York solar
market when it was emerging in 2011. In recent years, RE-Powering projects have
represented about 2% to 5% of new solar installations in the state.
60%
55%
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
RE-Powering Share of Annual Solar PV Installed Capacity
in NewYork
A
A
7 V
A
\
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-poweiine-trackine-
matrix
https://www.eia.gOv/electiicitv/s
tate/newvork/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 56
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Topic
New York State
Data
Sources
Chart 3: This graph converts annual data into a cumulative trend, ending with
RE-Powering projects representing just under 4% of cumulative statewide solar
capacity by 2021.
RE-Powering Share of Cumulative Solar PV Installed
Capacityin New York
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gOv/electiicitv/s
tate/newvork/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 57
-------
Topic
New York State
Data
Sources
Chart 4: This graph overlays the trend line of RE-Powering site market share (the
same line seen in Chart 3) with bars showing cumulative solar PV capacity in the
state on all types of sites.
RE-Powering Cumulative Market Share and
Total Solar PV Capacity in New York
4,000
_ 3,500
s
1 3,000
|r
I 2,500
u
= 2,000
ra
VI
I 1,500
>
"" 1,000
E
3
u
500
35%
30% sp
25%
20% °
15%
10% s
5%
0%
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
¦ Cumulative PV Capacity in State (MW]
-RE-Powering Market Share
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-poweiing-trackine-
matrix
https://www.eia.g0v/elecl:1icitv/s
tate/newvork/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 58
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New York State
Topic
Data
Sources
Chart 5: The annual path taken in New York to reach its total of 134 MW of
RE-Powering solar capacity through October 2022 is displayed. With one exception,
four to nine new RE-Powering solar projects were installed each year between 2014
and 2019, No RE-Powering solar projects were installed in New York in 2012 or
2013, which is why no bars are displayed for those years.
10 1
9 -
2 6
ra
i 4
c
<
3
2
1
0
Number of RE-Powering Solar PV Installations in New York
i
i
2010 & 2011 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Unknown
Before
Completion Year
Annual # of Projects -^—Cumulative Capacity (MW)
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powerine/re-powering-t racking-
matrix
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 59
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Topic
New York State
Data
Sources
General Electricity Market Factors
Power Prices
New York has higher-than-average retail electricity prices that, other factors being
equal, support renewable energy development. The national average retail
electricity price paid by end-use consumers is 11.1 cents/kWh, while New York's
average price is 45% higher at 16.11 cents/kWh. New York's retail electricity prices
are the ninth highest of the 50 states.
Wholesale electricity prices in Upstate New York average 6.2 cents/kWh, and they
average 7.5 cents/kWh in the New York City/Long Island area. Upstate New York
wholesale prices are about 17% below the national average of 7.5 cents/kWh, while
prices in New York City and Long Island are equal to the national average.
Retail electricity prices (in 2021):
https://www.eia.gOv/electricitv/s
tate/
Wholesale electricity prices in
2022 (generation-only electricity
prices: EIA, Annual Energy
Outlook 2023, Reference Case
Electric Power Projections by
Electricity Market Module
Region):
https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/ae
o/tables ref.oho
Clean Energy
Standard
New York has a 70% renewable electricity by 2030 mandate under its Clean Energy
Standard. It also has a 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040 requirement.
httDs://www.nvserda.nv.gov/AII-
Programs/Clean-Energv-Standard
https://climate.nv.gov/resources/
scooing-olan/
For More Information
State Energy
Agency POC
Emily Chessin, Program Manager, Build-Ready Program, New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority: emilv.chessin@nvserda.nv.gov
State
Environmental
Agency POCs
Jenelle Gaylord, Division of Environmental Remediation, New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation: ienelle.gavlord@dec.nv.gov
Payson Long, Division of Environmental Remediation, New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation: pavson.long@dec.nv.gov
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 60
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Topic
Rhode Island
Data Sources
Overview
As the state with the earliest 100% renewable electricity requirement in the country and with the smallest
land area of any state, siting issues for renewable energy projects have been at the forefront in Rhode Island.
There has been particular concern that "solar farms are becoming a source of forest loss to achieve Rhode
Island's clean energy goals."12
Rhode Island has instituted multiple programs to encourage the use of RE-Powering sites as part of the state's
renewable growth and has achieved a high proportion of RE-Powering projects, especially given the state's
total electricity market (46th most electricity generation of any state). Rhode Island ranks seventh nationally in
the number of RE-Powering projects and ninth in RE-Powering capacity.
Rhode Island's RE-Powering programs include a direct financial incentive (Brownfields Solar PV Program) with
more than 40 MW of awarded capacity, a list of remediated sites with solar potential, solar siting guidance
documents for local governments, and an inventory of local solar ordinances. The latter materials reflect the
main role that local policies play in siting decisions.
In implementing these programs, Rhode Island has coordinated among five of its state agencies, drawing from
the respective energy, environmental, economic development, finance, and planning specialties of each.
Program Basics
Direct Financial
Incentives
The Brownfields Solar PV Program within the Renewable Energy Fund (REF) has been https://commerceri.com/financi
ng/renewable-energv-fund/
making annual awards since 2019 and provides grants to eligible solar PV or solar PV
combined with energy storage projects on brownfield sites:
• Award amounts are $1.00/watt for projects directly owned by the site owner and
75 cents/watt for third party-owned projects:
o The maximum award per project is $250,000 for those directly owned by
the host and $175,000 for those that are third party-owned.
12 Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Rhode Island 2020 Forest Action Plan, p. 30, https://dem.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur861/files/programs/bnatres/forest/pdf/forest-action-
plan/forest-act ion-plan, pdf.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 61
-------
Rhode Island
Topic
Data
Sources
16 projects have received program awards, totaling more than $3 million and
with a total capacity of more than 40 MW. Not all awarded projects have been
installed to date due largely to the long development times of utility-scale solar
projects.
The Brownfields Solar PV Program is jointly managed by the Rhode Island Office
of Energy Resources (OER) and the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (Rl
Commerce):
o The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) also
plays a key role in the program by performing an initial eligibility review of
applications:
¦ RIDEM checks that the site has a qualifying brownfield designation and
that the site and its owner do not have past environmental compliance
issues or other factors that may pose undue risks to the state. The
RIDEM review is typically completed very quickly.
Funding from the Brownfields Solar PV Program can be combined with some,
but not all, other state funding sources for brownfields and renewables:
o "Projects [awarded from this program] cannot apply for both the
Commercial REF program and the Brownfield PV Program. Projects cannot
utilize REF funding with the Renewable Energy Growth (REG) program
administered by [the utility] National Grid."
o Green energy projects may seek grants from the Brownfields Remediation
and Economic Development Fund, which is supported through Rhode
Island's Green Economy Bonds.
https://commerceri.com/wp-
content/uploads/2021/05/Brow
nfield-RFP-FINAL-4.28.20.pdf
https://dem.ri.gOv/sites/g/files/
xkgbur861/files/programs/benvi
ron/waste/pdf/bbrfp.pdf
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 62
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Rhode Island
Topic
Data
Sources
Rhode Island recently enacted legislative changes to two major programs through
which renewable energy projects are developed in the state—the Net Metering and
Renewable Energy Growth Programs. Among other objectives, the legislation is
intended to both reduce deforestation associated with solar project development and
encourage renewable development on preferred site types, including landfills,
brownfields, Superfund sites, gravel pits and quarries, roadway median strips, parking
canopies, and rooftops.
Rhode Island has several databases, mapping tools, and analyses related to RE-
Powering sites:
• RIDEM "maintains an inventory of sites and files in its various programs." Many
of these data inventories are general in nature (not specific to renewable energy);
however, the first inventory below is specific to solar development and covers
several hundred sites. A non-comprehensive list of site inventory names follows
the potential solar source:
o Remediated Sites: Potential Solar
¦ This is a list of sites that have been remediated under RIDEM's
Remediation Regulations. The inventory does not mean that all of the
properties on the list are suitable for solar use; however, these are the
properties where the remediation issues have been satisfied.
o List of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Information System (CERCLIS) and state sites in Rhode Island,
o Waste Management Sites with Environmental Land Use Restrictions,
o Active/Inactive Waste Management Facilities.
• RIDEM publishes an Environmental Resource Map with numerous data layers:
o This resource "is a 'catch-all' that includes most map layers of interest to
[RIDEM] Customers and Business Partners."
http://webserver.rilegislature.g
ov/BillText/BillText23/HouseTex
t23ZH5853A.pdf
http://webserver.rilegislature.g
ov/BillText/BillText23/SenateTe
xt237S0684A.pdf
https://dem.ri.gov/environment
al-protection-bureau/land-
revitalization-and-sustainable-
materials-
management/inventories
https://dem.ri.gOv/sites/g/files/
xkgbur861/files/programs/benvi
ron/waste/inventories/rem-
sites-potential-solar.pdf
https://www.arcgis.eom/home/i
tem.html?id=87el04c8adb449e
b9f905e5fl8020de5#
Site Identification
& Development
Support
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 63
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Rhode Island
Topic
Data
Sources
• OER issued the Solar Siting Opportunities for Rhode Island report in 2020 that
analyzed solar potential across six site types, including landfills and brownfields.
https://www.svnapse-
energv.com/sites/default/files/S
olar Siting Opportunities for R
The report includes maps and methodologies of landfill and brownfield solar
hode Island 19-076.pdf
potential by municipality.
Education &
Outreach
The siting of renewable energy systems is a particularly important issue in Rhode
Island due to its combination of significant policy commitments (100% renewables by
2033) and land constraints arising from population density, which is the second
highest of any state. To help address siting, the Division of Statewide Planning and
OER produced a series of siting and planning analyses and voluntary guidance
documents related to solar13 in 2019:
• An overview document (Comprehensive Plans & Solar Energy Systems) sets forth
the state's 13 principles for renewable energy siting, including "encourage
renewable energy development on commercial and industrial zoned land, on
already developed land, and in other locations with environmental alterations
such as closed landfills, brownfields, parking lots, commercial and residential
rooftops, sand and gravel pits."
https://governor.ri.gov/press-
releases/governor-mckee-signs-
historic-legislation-requiring-
100-rhode-islands-elect ricitv-be
https://energy.ri.gov/renewable
-energy/solar/solar-guidance-
and-model-ordinance-
development
https://energy.ri.gOv/sites/g/file
s/xkgbur741/files/documents/re
newable/Comp Plan Solar Siti
ng Report Feb 2019.pdf
13 "Standards for wind energy systems were previously issued by the Statewide Planning Program and the Office of Energy Resources." See State of Rhode Island, Comprehensive Plans & Solar Energy
Systems, p. 4, https://energy.ri.gOv/sites/g/files/xkgbur741/files/documents/renewable/Comp Plan Solar Siting Report Feb 2019.pdf. and OER, Rhode Island
Land-Based Wind Siting Guidelines, https://planning.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur826/files/documents/LU/2Q19/OER-Wind-Siting-Guidelines-
2017.pdf#:~:text=This%20document%20reviews%20maior%20siting%20considerations%20for%20wind.the%20siting%20of%20wind%20turbines%20through%20zoning%20ordinances.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 64
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Rhode Island
Topic
Data
Sources
General
Brownfield Reuse
• The state also published model local zoning and taxation ordinances for solar
energy systems:
o While these model ordinances can be instructive, and OER and the Division
of Statewide Planning can also provide technical assistance on applying
them to local circumstances, they are voluntary. "Rhode Island State
Statute leaves solar development regulation to local governments; the
State does not pre-empt or guide solar development except for enabling
local governments to regulate through development regulations that must
be consistent with their community comprehensive plan."
• To complement and add specificity to the model ordinances, the state provides an
inventory of local solar ordinances in Rhode Island:
o The inventory describes several attributes of 39 such local ordinances.
There are funding programs administered by RIDEM that can benefit renewable
energy, as well as many other types of reuse of contaminated sites. To date, the
RIDEM programs have been utilized for small to mid-size solar projects.
• The Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Fund "provides
assistance for remedial investigation, redevelopment, remedial design,
construction of remedies, and other associated work" through the following:
Site preparation grants.
Redevelopment grants.
o
o
RIDEM also offers a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Program to "fund Phase
I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments and Remedial" Action Work Plans.
https://energv.ri.gov/sites/g/file
s/xkgbur741/files/documents/re
newable/Renewable Energy G
uidelines Solar Energy System
s Model Templates Zoning an
d Taxation Feb 2019.pdf
https://energy.ri.gOv/sites/g/file
s/xkgbur741/files/documents/re
newable/2021-RI-MuniSolar-
Ordinances 1-19-
2021%5 B2%5 D. pdf
https://dem.ri.gov/environment
al-protection-bureau/land-
revitalization-and-sustainable-
materials-management/state-
site
https://dem.ri.gov/environment
al-protection-bureau/land-
revitalization-and-sustainable-
materials-management/state-
site
Interagency
Coordination
There is significant multi-agency coordination in the state among OER, Rl
Commerce, RIDEM, Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, and the Division of Statewide
Planning to review and advance potential RE-Powering projects:
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 65
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Topic
Rhode Island
Data Sources
• OER, Rl Commerce, and RIDEM formally collaborate in application reviews and httpsy/commerceri.com/financi
' ' 1 ng/renewable-energv-fund/
administration of the Brownfields Solar PV Program within the REF that has
https://en ergv.ri.gov/renewable
awarded funds to more than 40 MW of RE-Powering projects. -energv/soiar/soiar-guidance-
and-model-ordinance-
• OER and the Division of Statewide Planning collaborated on a series of solar development
siting publications.
Program Best Practices/Success Factors
Building on
Existing
Renewables
Programs
The Brownfields Solar PV Program is part of the well-established Renewable Energy Fund, which has
additional incentive programs applicable to other site types. Building on existing programs is a best practice
for incentives that has been followed by other states to simplify and hasten program development and realize
administrative efficiencies compared with having stand-alone incentive programs for RE-Powering sites.
Consistent
Emphasis on Land
Reuse
As the state with the second highest population density, Rhode Island has been attuned to land reuse as a key
part of its strategy to meet its substantial renewable energy requirements while mitigating disruption to
greenfield sites and forests. It has several statewide databases, mapping tools, and funding programs that can
assist in redeveloping brownfields and other RE-Powering sites.
The state's emphasis on land reuse continues with the 2023 legislative updates to the Renewable Energy
Growth and Net Metering Programs, providing preferences for several types of sites, including landfills,
brownfields, and Superfund sites.
Attention to
Local Issues
The municipalities of Rhode Island manage key zoning, taxation, and permitting activities related to
renewable energy development. To assist local governments in navigating these activities, the state published
voluntary, statewide guidance documents and offers technical assistance. Rhode Island also assembled a list
of local solar ordinances meant to capture the diversity of approaches that municipalities are taking on siting
issues. Close attention and deference to local issues is a characteristic of several successful RE-Powering state-
level programs.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 66
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Rhode Island
Topic
Data
Sources
Extensive
Interagency
Coordination
Across multiple programs affecting renewables on RE-Powering sites, several Rhode Island agencies apply
their specialties to increase the speed and quality of program outcomes. Extensive interagency coordination is
a national best practice that has also been followed in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, the states
with the most RE-Powering projects.
Achievements to Date
RE-Powering
Data on All
Renewable
Technologies (as
of Oct. 2022)
Comparison with
Total Renewable
Energy Capacity
in the State
Solar
Deployment
Trends in the
State
• 14 operational projects (seventh highest total in the country).
• 55 MW of capacity (ninth highest total in the country).
o All of these projects are solar PV, except a 1.5 MW wind project.
As of 2021, Rhode Island had the following:
• 571 MW of solar PV capacity.
• 103 MW of wind capacity.
As of 2021, RE-Powering projects (with 54 MW of solar capacity and 1.5 MW of wind
capacity) represent the following:
• 9% of cumulative solar PV capacity statewide.
• 1% of cumulative wind capacity statewide.
Overall, Rhode Island has the 31st most total solar capacity of any state. As context for
that ranking, Rhode Island has the 46th most total electricity generation of any state.
Rhode Island has reached its relatively high level of solar deployment through a
variety of mechanisms, including a high Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), a widely
used VNM program, and direct renewable incentive programs (such as REF and the
Renewable Energy Growth Program) offering long-term, tariff-based offtake
contracts.
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/rhodeisland/
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://seia.org/states-map
https://energy.ri.gov/renewable
-energy/wind/renewable-
energy-growth-program-reg-
program
https://energy.ri.gov/renewable
-energy/wind/net-metering
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 67
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The remainder of this section contains five charts on deployment trends in Rhode
Island. All but the first chart were developed by EPA and its contractors based on RE-
Powering Tracking Matrix data and EIA overall statewide data.
Chart 1: Rhode Island has achieved high levels of solar deployment over the past 5
years given its population and land size. The commercial segment has been the largest
part of the market, which may be driven, in part, by the state's VNM law that allows
government agencies, schools, hospitals, and nonprofits to install VNM projects of up
to 10 MW of capacity.
Rhode Island Annual Solar Installations
III
2016
Residential
2017
Commercial
2018 2019 2020
Community Solar | Utility
Solar Energy Industries
Association and Wood
Mackenzie Power &
Renewables, U.S. Solar Market
Insight 2022 Year in Review,
https://www.seia.org/state-
solar-policv/rhode-island-solar
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 68
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Rhode Island
Topic Data Sources
Chart 2: RE-Powering projects have represented a sizable share of the overall Rhode
Island solar market several times in the past 6 years.14
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
RE-Powering Share of Annual Solar PV Installed
Capacity in Rhode Island
A
/ \
/ \
\
/v / \
/\ /
/ \ /
/ \ /
/ V
\
\
v
z
/
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/rhodeisland/
14 This chart begins in 2015 because there is a 2-year anomaly in how RE-Powering solar project installations in the state were recorded compared with how total solar installations in the state were
recorded. The anomaly does not affect cumulative results; however, it would have presented an unusual pattern in the earlier years when the Rhode Island market had modest amounts of installed
solar capacity.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 69
-------
Topic
Rhode Island
Data
Sources
Chart 3: This graph converts annua! data into a cumulative trend, ending with
RE-Powering projects representing 9% of cumulative statewide solar capacity in 2021.
The RE-Powering solar market share has been at or above 8% in Rhode Island for all
years since 2014.
RE-Powering Share of Cumulative Solar PV Installed
Capacity in Rhode Island
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
https://www.epa.gov/re-
poweiine/re-powerine-t racking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/rhodeisland/
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 70
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Topic
Rhode Island
Data
Sources
Chart 4: This graph overlays the trend line of RE-Powering site market share (the same
line seen in Chart 3) with bars showing cumulative solar PV capacity in the state on all
types of sites. By 2021, 571 MW of solar had been installed in Rhode Island on all
types of sites.
700
RE-Powering Cumulative Market Share and
Total Solar PV Capacity in Rhode Island
40%
% 600
500
^ 400
300
200
100
35%
30%
25%
20% £r
15% <3
10%
5% d
0%
2010 & 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Before
I Cumulative PV Capacity in State (MW)
• RE-Powering Market Share
https://www.epa.gov/re-
poweiine/re-powerine-t racking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/rhodeisland/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 71
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Topic
Rhode Island
Data
Sources
Chart 5: The annual path taken in Rhode Island to reach its total of 54 MW of
RE-Powering solar capacity through October 2022 is displayed.
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
Annual # of Projects Cumulative Capacity (MW)
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 72
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Topic
Rhode Island
Data
Sources
General Electricity Market Factors
Power Prices
Rhode Island has higher-than-average electricity prices that, other factors being
equal, support renewable energy development. The national average retail electricity
price paid by end-use consumers is 11.1 cents/kWh, while Rhode Island's average
price is 66% higher at 18.44 cents/kWh. Rhode Island's retail electricity prices are the
fifth highest of the 50 states.
Wholesale electricity prices in the New England region containing Rhode Island
average 10.1 cents/kWh, which is 35% above the national average of 7.5 cents/kWh.
Retail electricity prices (in
2021):
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/
Wholesale electricity prices in
2022 (generation-only electricity
prices: EIA, Annual Energy
Outlook 2023, Reference Case
Electric Power Projections by
Electricity Market Module
Region):
https://www.eia.g0v/0utl00ks/a
eo/tables ref.oho
Renewable
Portfolio
Standard
Rhode Island's Renewable Energy Standard requires that 100% of electricity come
from renewable sources by 2033.
httD://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us
/BillText/BillText22/HouseText2
2/H7277A.pdf
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 73
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Topic
Rhode Island
Data Sources
For More Information
State Energy
Agency POC
Shauna Beland, Director, Energy Programs and Policy, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources:
shauna.beland@energv.ri.gov
State
Environmental
Agency POCs
Ashley Blauvelt, Environmental Engineer IV, Office of Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials
Management, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management: ashlev.blauvelt@dem.ri.gov
Mark Dennen, Supervising Environmental Scientist, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management:
mark.dennen@dem.ri.gov
Kelly Owens, Associate Supervising Engineer, Office of Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials
Management, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management: kellv.owens@dem.ri.gov
State Economic
Development
Agency POC
Karen Stewart, Renewable Energy Fund Program Manager, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation:
karen.stewart@commerceri.com
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 74
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Topic
Colorado
Data Sources
Overview
Colorado has deployed a substantial amount of renewable capacity to date, with almost 1,800 MW of solar and
5,000 MW of wind installed through 2021, to help meet the state's 2020 RPS and pave the way for the state's
largest utility to meet its 100% clean energy by 2050 requirement.
Between 2010 and 2017, nine RE-Powering solar projects were installed in Colorado, and RE-Powering projects
represented roughly 1% to 5% of the state's overall cumulative solar capacity during that period. Since then, no
new RE-Powering projects have been recorded by EPA in the state. Potential barriers to new RE-Powering
projects are local government restrictions and land use controls on RE-Powering sites, especially in rural areas
of the state where it might be relatively easy for developers to lease unused greenfield sites. In addition, the
general pressure on land use choices for renewables may be lower in Colorado than in the other states profiled
in this document because Colorado has a relatively low population density (38th highest of all states), while the
other profiled states vary from having the 1st to the 13th highest population density in the country.15
However, Colorado does have RE-Powering programs available. For example, there is a mapping tool that
integrates numerous factors relevant to solar and wind projects for sites that include landfills and mines.
Colorado also has a substantial brownfield revolving loan fund and other general brownfield funding programs
that could be used to support site redevelopment for renewables.
Program Basics
Site Identification
& Development
Support
The COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS mapping application combines more than 100 datasets https://brightfieids.coiorado.go
^ ° ^ v/Brightfields/
and includes data relevant to renewable energy redevelopment on more than 4,000
marginalized properties across 10 counties. "Former land uses may include mining, oil
and gas processing, and landfills, as well as industrial, manufacturing, and commercial
enterprises." This mapping application is meant to simplify and accelerate the process
of identifying marginalized sites that are candidates for renewable energy
redevelopment.
15 See U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Population Density Data (1910-2020), https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/densitv-data-text.html.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 75
-------
Colorado
Topic
Data
Sources
• In addition to a range of land parcel information, the COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS
mapping application includes many data fields specifically related to renewable
energy development potential, such as the distance to the nearest electric
substation and transmission line, solar resource, tree canopy, wind speed, and
electric utility territory. An example from the COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS mapping
application, with details on the nearest transmission line to a land parcel, is found
below.
https://coioradoi3b.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/05/Color
ado-Briehtfields-
Report Finai.pdf
https://briglitfields.colorado.go
v/Brightfields/assets/brightfieid
s-user-guide.pdf
The COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS mapping application was developed by a consortium,
including the University of Denver and Colorado State University, with an advisory
committee that includes representatives from the Colorado Department of Public
Health and Environment (CDPHE), other state offices, the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory, EPA, a local electric utility, a renewable industry association, and
nonprofits.
https://coloradolab.org/wp-
content/iiploads/2021/05/Color
ado-Brightfields-
Report Finai.pdf
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 76
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Colorado
Topic
Data
Sources
General
Brownfield Reuse
In addition to the COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS mapping application, Colorado offers
several more general databases and mapping resources that cover
RE-Powering sites but that are not specific to renewable energy potential. Many of
these mapping resources are integrated into the COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS mapping
application.
• Colorado has maps or data layers for site types, including, but not limited to,
municipal landfills, Superfund sites, uranium mill tailings, voluntary cleanup and
redevelopment programs, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
features.
• Colorado also publishes a county-level list of brownfields.
Colorado provides several funding programs that support brownfield site reuses that
include, but are not limited to, renewable energy. To date, these programs, three of
which are summarized below, have not been extensively used for renewable projects:
• The Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund offers "financing with reduced interest rates,
flexible loan terms and flexibility in acceptable forms of collateral. The fund also can
provide cleanup grants to qualifying local governments and nonprofits."
• The Brownfields Tax Credit is "for qualifying entities that perform environmental
remediation associated with capital improvements or redevelopment projects":
o In rural areas, the maximum tax credit is $675,000, while the maximum tax
credit is $525,000 in non-rural areas.
• Colorado also provides a program for Targeted Brownfields Assessment or
Voluntary Cleanup Assistance to "help communities revitalize land perceived to be a
drain on the local economy."
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm-
gis-data
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/bro
wnfields-listed-cou ntv
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/bro
wnfields
https://www.chfainfo.com/geta
ttachment/180b0dll-b9b4-
4fef-8786-
ed538fc631a2/BrownfieldsFlver.
£df
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/bro
wnfields
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/hm
/co-brnflds-tax-credit-notif-reqs
https://cdphe.colorado.gov/bro
wnfields
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 77
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Colorado
Topic
Data
Sources
Program Best Practices/Success Factors
Build Programs
The COLORADO BRIGHTFIELDS mapping application draws from numerous site databases and maps that CDPHE
by Extending
and other agencies already maintain, thereby increasing the speed and lowering the cost and complexity of
Existing Data
program creation.
Sources
Achievements to Date
RE-Powering
• Nine operational projects (12th highest total in the country).
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
Data on All
• 9 MW of capacity (23rd highest total in the country).
matrix
Renewable
o All of these projects are solar PV.
Technologies (as
of Oct. 2022)
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
Comparison with
As of 2021, Colorado had the following:
state/colorado/
Total Renewable
Energy Capacity
in the State
• 1,787 MW of solar PV capacity.
• 4,994 MW of wind capacity.
As of 2021, RE-Powering projects (with 9 MW of capacity) represent the following:
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
• 1% of cumulative solar PV capacity statewide.
• 0% of cumulative wind capacity statewide (there are no RE-Powering wind projects
identified in the state).
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 78
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Topic
Colorado
Data
Sources
Solar
Deployment
Trends in the
State
Overall, Colorado has the 13th most total solar capacity of any state. While the https://www.eia.sov/eiectricity/
state/colorado/
residential, commercial, and community solar segments have been relatively steady
parts of the market for the past decade, the utility-scale market has been the biggest https://seia.org/states-map
contributor to solar growth over the past 6 years. Many of the recent utility-scale solar
projects in Colorado are very large and go beyond the typical capacity of RE-Powering
solar projects.
Colorado does have numerous ground-mounted projects of up to 5 MW, which is the
most common size for RE-Powering solar projects as part of utility community solar
programs. However, the emphasis on solar production per megawatt of capacity for
developers in these programs creates some economic challenges for landfill-sited
projects. That is because landfill projects can only accommodate single-axis tracking
systems (which increase production compared with fixed-tilt systems) at additional
ballast and engineering costs compared with greenfield projects.
The remainder of this section contains five charts on deployment trends in Colorado. All
but the first chart were developed by EPA and its contractors based on RE-Powering
Tracking Matrix data and EIA overall statewide data.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 79
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Topic
Colorado
Data
Sources
Chart l:The Colorado solar market has recently been led by the utility-scale segment,
although with dozens of megawatts of residential solar also deployed each year and
relatively consistent community solar and commercial deployment. The varying pattern
of utility-scale deployment is likely driven by the procurement schedules of major
utilities in the state.
Colorado Annual Solar Installations
2 a 5 I 5 ¦
I
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Residential commercial community solar utility
Solar Energy Industries
Association and Wood
Mackenzie Power &
Renewables, U.S. Solar Market
Insight 2022 Year in Review,
https://www.seia.org/state-
solar-policv/colorado-solar
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 80
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Colorado
Topic
Data
Sources
Chart 2: The share of RE-Powering project capacity within the overall Colorado solar
market has varied widely from year to year, with a peak of 7% in 2017 and no new
RE-Powering projects in the state in the past several years.
10%
9%
8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
RE-Powering Share of Annual Solar PV Installed Capacity in
Colorado
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re- powering-tracking-
matrix
https:/7www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/colorado/
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 81
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Topic
Colorado
Data
Sources
Chart 3: This graph converts annua! data into a cumulative trend, ending with
RE-Powering projects representing just under 1% of cumulative statewide solar capacity
in 2021.
RE-Powering Share of Cumulative Solar PV Installed
Capacity in Colorado
10%
9%
8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
https://www.epa.gov/re-
poweiing/re-powering-tiacking-
matrix
https:/7www. eia.gov/electricitv/
state/colorado/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 82
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Topic
Colorado
Data
Sources
Chart 4: This graph overlays the trend line of RE-Powering site market share (the same
line seen in Chart 3) with bars showing cumulative solar PV capacity in the state on all
types of sites. By 2021,1,787 MW of solar had been installed in Colorado on all types of
sites.
RE-Powering Cumulative Market Share and
Total Solar PV Capacity in Colorado
2,000
g- 1,800
S- 1,600
£
'S 1,4-00
u 1,200
I 1,000
| 800
| 600
| 400
a 200
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 201S 2019 2020 2021
&
Before
10% „
9% £
bfl
8% -§
0J
7% I
6% £
5% |
4% 1
3% a
"O
2% 1
1% I
o% z
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re- powering-tracking-
matrix
https:/7www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/colorado/
i Cumulative PV Capacity in State (MW)
• RE-Powering Market Share
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 83
-------
Topic
Colorado
Data
Sources
Chart 5: The annual path taken in Colorado to reach its total of 9 MW of RE-Powering
solar capacity through October 2022 is displayed. There have been no new RE-Powering
projects in Colorado since 2017 that have been recorded by EPA.
Number of RE-Powering Solar PV Installations in Colorado
,
12
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
10 matrix
f f f
Completion Year
Annual # of Projects ^—Cumulative Capacity (MW)
General Electricity Market Factors
Colorado has slightly lower-than-average retail electricity prices. The national average
retail electricity price paid by end-use consumers is 11.1 cents/kWh, while Colorado's
average price is 2% lower at 10.9 cents/kWh.
Wholesale electricity prices in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council/Rockies
region containing Colorado average 6.2 cents/kWh, which is 17% below the national
average of 7.5 cents/kWh.
Retail electricity prices (in
2021):
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/
Wholesale electricity prices in
2022 (generation-only electricity
prices: El A, Annual Energy
Outlook 2023, Reference Case
Electric Power Projections by
Electricity Market Module
Region):
https://www.eia.g0v/0utl00ks/a
eo/tables ref.php
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 84
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Topic
Colorado
Data
Sources
Renewable
Portfolio
Colorado has an RPS of 30% by 2020 for investor-owned utilities (and lower percentages
for municipal and electric cooperative utilities). Colorado also requires that the largest
https://programs.dsireusa.Org/s
vstem/program/detail/133/rene
wable-energv-standard
Standard
investor-owned utility in the state that serves more than one-half of the state's
population reach 100% electricity from clean energy sources by 2050.
In addition, the state has a roadmap to 100% renewable electricity by 2040.
https://leg.colorado.gOv/sites/d
efault/files/documents/2019A/b
ills/2019a 236 enr.pdf
https://drive.google.eom/file/d/
IK anGQpEf-
edahiz5b6D3UlsfFV3ml3/view
For More Information
State
Environmental
Agency POC
Doug Jamison, Superfund/Brownfields Unit Leader, State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and
Environment: doug.iamison@state.co.us
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 85
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Topic
Illinois
Data Sources
Overview
Illinois is representative of several states that have existing projects on RE-Powering sites and have created or
enlarged programs geared specifically toward increasing renewable energy capacity on RE-Powering sites. It is
also representative in that its RE-Powering programs have been complementary pieces of broader legislation
raising the state's overall renewable energy goals.
Illinois has new large solar projects on landfills and brownfields being developed that arose from the Future
Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) of 2017, which is legislation that requires at least 2% of all new utility-scale solar output
to come from brownfields. This legislation's definition of "brownfields" also includes solid waste landfills. The
first successful auction for these sites occurred in 2019.
In September 2021, Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which increased the minimum
proportion of utility-scale solar on RE-Powering sites from 2% to 3%, expanded the definition of "eligible sites"
to also include closed coal mines, and included other provisions encouraging the reuse of RE-Powering sites for
renewables. These provisions of FEJA and CEJA have supported the development of community solar on
brownfields beyond the utility-scale percentages noted above.
In addition to the solar procurement requirements noted above, Illinois has databases, technical assistance, a
brownfields loan program, and a climate-focused interagency collaboration mechanism that support the
development of RE-Powering sites.
Program Basics
Procurement
Preferences or
Requirements
FEJA substantially updated the state's RPS to include new procurement requirements https://www.iiga.gov/iegisiation
/publicacts/99/PDF/099-
for RECs specific to solar and wind projects, as well as other programs (e.g., the 0906.pdf
Adjustable Block Program [for distributed PV generation and community solar] and the httDs://iDa.iiiinois.aov/renewabi
Illinois Solar for All program [for low-income residential distributed generation and e-resources.html
rnmmiinity snlar]): https://illinoisabp.com/
httos://www.illinoissfa.com/
• One FEJA procurement requirement was that at least 2% of new solar RECs must
be obtained from brownfield sites (that are not part of FEJA's community
renewables projects). These RECs are obtained from utility-scale projects.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 86
-------
Illinois
Topic
Data
Sources
• Eligible brownfields under FEJA were those at federally regulated Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or RCRA sites,
or Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA)-regulated Site
Remediation Program or Solid Waste Program sites. Therefore, sites typically
thought of as "landfills" are included in FEJA's definition of "brownfields."
• The initial FEJA brownfield solar procurements were not successful, so the Illinois
Power Agency (IPA) made certain adjustments to the procurement guidelines and
conducted another procurement event in July 2019. The 2019 procurement was
approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission and successfully obtained RECs
from two selected projects.
• FEJA's specific procurement requirement led to construction of large RE-Powering
projects (for example, a 13 MW landfill solar project in Belleville, Illinois).
CEJA, passed on September 15, 2021, increased the share of new solar RECs that must
come from brownfields from 2% to 3% and expanded the definition of "eligible sites"
to include closed coal mines:16
• CEJA contains numerous provisions aimed at expanding the overall size of the
renewable energy market in Illinois.
• IPA hosted two procurements in 2022 and a summer 2023 procurement, all of
which include brownfield solar projects:
o The Spring 2022 procurement included one winning brownfield project of
approximately 5 MW of capacity.
o The Fall 2022 procurement included four winning brownfield projects,
totaling approximately 28 MW of capacity.
https://www.ipa-
energyrfp.com/wp-
content/uploads/2023/04/lndex
ed-REC-RFP Process-and-
Rules FINAL 28-APR-2023.pdf
https://ipa-energyrfp.com/wp-
content/uploads/2019/08/Sum
mer-2019-Brownfield-RFP-
Results-AUG-l-2019.pdf
https://www.aes.com/belleville-
landfill-proiect
https://ilga.gov/legislation/publi
cacts/102/PDF/102-0662.pdf
https://www.illinois.gOv/news/p
ress-release.23893.html
https://ipa-energyrfp.com/wp-
content/uploads/2022/05/5-12-
22-Public-Notice-of-Mav-2022-
Wind-Solar-and-Brownfield-
Indexed-REC-Procurement-
Results.pdf
https://ipa-energyrfp.com/wp-
content/uploads/2022/12/Fall-
2022-1 ndexed-REC-RFP-Results-
15-Dec-2022-posted.pdf
16 CEJA defines "eligible parcels" as "located at the site of a coal mine that has permanently ceased coal production, permanently halted any re-mining operations, and is no longer accepting any coal
combustion residues; has both completed all clean-up and remediation obligations underthefederal Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1977 and all applicable Illinois rules." See CEJA,
https://ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/102/PDF/102-0662.pdf.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 87
-------
Illinois
Topic
Data
Sources
Site Identification
& Development
Support
o The Summer 2023 procurement included three winning brownfield
projects, totaling approximately 39 MW of capacity.
• CEJA also included provisions for the selection of community solar projects that
consider site location. The "built environment" scoring criteria for the Traditional
Community Solar program includes points for proposed projects located on
brownfields, contaminated lands, and other preferred sites, such as rooftops.
• In addition, although not under a specific requirement or preference program
based on site type, two community solar projects located on landfills, totaling
about 4 MW of capacity, have been developed under the Illinois Solar for All
program. The Solar for All program supports solar for low-income households and
communities.
The Illinois EPA maintains three databases of RE-Powering sites:
• Site Remediation Program:
o "Identifies the status of all voluntary remediation projects administered
through the Pre-Notice Site Cleanup Program (1989 to 1995) and the
Site Remediation Program (1996 to the present)." This database has
6,489 entries.
• Leaking Underground Storage Tanks:
o "Identifies the status of all Illinois (Leaking Underground Storage Tanks)
incidents reported to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and to
the Illinois EPA." This database has 30,372 entries.
• State Response Action Program:
o "Identifies the status of all sites under the responsibility of the Illinois EPA's
State Sites Unit." This database has 531 entries.
https://www.ipa-
energyrfp.com/wp-
content/uploads/2023/06/Sum
mer-2023-lndexed-REC-RFP-
Results-29-Jun-2023.pdf
https://illinoisshines.com/wp-
content/uploads/2022/10/Final-
TCS-Scoring-Guidelines-7-Oct-
2022.pdf
https://www.illinoissfa.com/app
/u ploads/2022/02/Selected-
Proiect-Summaries.pdf
https://www2.illinois.gOv/epa/t
opics/cleanup-programs/bol-
database/Pages/default.aspx
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 88
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Topic
Illinois
Data
Sources
While Illinois does not have renewable energy-specific databases or maps of its
RE-Powering sites, these overall RE-Powering site databases can help renewable
developers identify locations and owners for reuse.
Technical assistance: While the Illinois EPA does not have a technical assistance
program specifically for renewable energy reuse, agency brownfields representatives
do meet with city leaders to review cleanup options, help cities secure financial
assistance, and guide potential loan recipients through redevelopment. Agency staff
will also meet with renewable project developers to explain the requirements (e.g.,
how a proposed renewable system design might interact with ongoing maintenance
and remediation processes):
• Meetings with renewable developers often pertain to the process for obtaining
"No Further Remediation (NFR)" letters. An "NFR letter acknowledges that a site
owner or operator has satisfied the respective Bureau of Land statutory and
regulatory requirements."
• In 2018, the Illinois EPA issued its first permit for a solar landfill project. This was a
2.4 MW project in Zion:
o The agency has issued permits for additional solar development projects
atop nonhazardous solid waste landfills since that time. The permits include
those for the Freeport Municipal Landfill and Belvidere Municipal Landfill in
2019 and the Belleville Landfill in 2020.
Illinois EPA maintains a Renewable Energy Development on Former Landfills and
Cleanup Sites webpage with links to numerous federal and state government and
trade association information sources:
• Beyond this webpage dedicated to renewable energy reuse, there are numerous
Illinois EPA webpages for general landfill, brownfield, and mine site programs and
activities that can be applicable to renewable reuse, as well as other types of reuse.
https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/cl
eanup-
programs/brownfields.html
https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/cl
eanup-programs/taco/fact-
sheets/no-further-remediation-
letters.html#faq-
whatisanofurtherremediationnfr
letter-faq
https://www.chicagotribune.co
m/su bu rbs/la ke-cou ntv- n ews-
sun/ct-lns-zion-solar-proiect-st-
0905-20200904-
o45k4wfstbh2fpf4mxisobslve-
storv.html
https://epa.illinois.gOv/topics/e
nergy/renewable-
energy/renewable-energy-
development-landfills-
cleanup.html
Education &
Outreach
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 89
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Illinois
Topic
Data
Sources
General
Brownfield Reuse
"The Illinois Brownfields Redevelopment Loan Program offers low interest loans to
support efforts by local governments and private parties to clean up brownfields sites
that have already been assessed for contamination. These cleanups take place under
the Illinois EPA's voluntary Site Remediation Program":
https://eDa.illinois.gov/toDics/cl
eanuo-
Drograms/brownfields.html
• "Loans may be used to pay for limited site investigation and demolition and
remediation costs at brownfields sites."
• The maximum loan amount for any single application is $500,000 and $1 million
per project.
httDs://www2.illinois.gov/eDa/D
ocuments/eDa-
forms/land/brownfields/brownf
ield-loan-aDD.Ddf
• This program is not designed specifically for renewable energy development;
however, that is one type of reuse that it can support.
Interagency
Coordination
In conjunction with Illinois joining the U.S. Climate Alliance in 2019, the Illinois Climate
Working Group was created to increase data and programmatic coordination among
state partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance Illinois' attainment of
its U.S. Climate Alliance commitments.
• The Illinois EPA was the organizing agency of 17 agencies that are members of the
Illinois Climate Working Group. This working group is not a public body under the
Illinois Open Meetings Act.
• The working group's broad participation and goals, as well as the role of the Illinois
EPA in the group, are consistent with expanding RE-Powering site reuse for
renewables.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 90
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Topic
Illinois
Data Sources
Program Best Practices/Success Factors
Need for
Flexibility in
Implementing
Procurement
Requirements
The initial FEJA brownfield solar procurements were not successful, so the IPA made modifications and
successfully obtained RECs from two large projects in 2019. The State of Illinois also expanded the definition of
"brownfields" to include closed mines under the CEJA legislation, and IPA conducted two 2022 procurements
and a 2023 procurement to seek additional brownfield RECs. The procurements conducted under the
provisions of CEJA have been successful.
Especially in markets where RE-Powering projects are less common, there is a need to adapt program
implementation as renewable developers, program administrators, site owners, and other stakeholders
become more knowledgeable about local costs, permitting processes, and timelines.
Broad Political &
Stakeholder
Support
Illinois passed two significant legislative bills in the past 6 years updating the state's long-run clean energy
plans. The provisions in the bills that explicitly addressed RE-Powering sites warranted attention from many
stakeholders as cost, land use, environmental justice, and decarbonization objectives were balanced.
Existence of
Complementary
Programs
Although Illinois does not appear to have programs that focus exclusively on placing renewables on
RE-Powering sites, apart from its solar procurement requirements and an educational webpage, it does have
several programs addressing brownfield and landfill reuse more broadly that can be readily utilized by
developers and communities interested in renewables. The existence of these complementary programs is a
hallmark of states that have grown their RE-Powering capacity.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 91
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Topic
Illinois
Data
Sources
Achievements to Date
RE-Powering
Data on All
Renewable
Technologies (as
of Oct. 2022)
• Seven operational projects (13th highest total in the country).
o Six solar PV projects and a 1 MW wind project.
• 37 MW of capacity (12th highest total in the country).
httDs://www.eoa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
Comparison with
Total Renewable
Energy Capacity
in the State
As of 2021, Illinois had the following:17
• 1,424 MW of solar PV capacity.
• 7,180 MW of wind capacity.
As of 2021, RE-Powering projects (with 33 MW of solar capacity and 1 MW of wind
capacity) represent the following:
• 2% of cumulative solar PV capacity statewide.
• Less than 0.1% of cumulative wind capacity statewide.
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/illinois/
https://www.epa.gov/re-
Dowering/re-oowering-tracking-
matrix
17 Significant amounts of additional solar capacity were installed in Illinois in 2022; data in this section for Illinois and the other profiled states are from 2021 for consistency with the most recent EIA
State Electricity Profiles (https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/state/).
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites Page 92
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Topic
Illinois
Data
Sources
Solar
Deployment
Trends in the
State
Illinois' solar market began growing rapidly in 2019 as the policies enacted in FEJA,
which took effect in 2017, resulted in new installed solar projects. Almost as much new
solar capacity was installed in Illinois in 2019 as in all prior years combined.18 FEJA has
already incentivized the development of more than 35,000 renewable energy projects
between all associated programs and procurements.
FEJA contained a requirement that at least 2% of new utility-scale solar output be from
brownfields (including landfills in its definition of "brownfields"). Additional solar
projects on RE-Powering sites are being developed in the state's new community solar
program, without a specific requirement that such sites be used.
CEJA, passed in September 2021, expands the FEJA brownfields solar requirement from
2% to 3%, makes former coal mine sites eligible within that requirement, and includes
several provisions to grow the overall Illinois clean energy market, including a
significant increase in the RPS from 25% in 2025 to 50% by 2040. CEJA advances equity
goals for brownfield solar projects by requiring that these projects participate in the
Equity Accountability System.
Overall, Illinois has the 15th most total solar capacity of any state. The remainder of this
section contains four charts on deployment trends in Illinois. All but the first chart
were developed by EPA and its contractors based on RE-Powering Tracking Matrix data
and EIA overall statewide data.
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/illinois/
https://ipa.illinois.gov/content/
dam/soi/en/web/ipa/document
s//ipafactsheet publicactl02-
0662 12122.pdf
https://seia.org/states-map
18 FEJA also contributed to strong growth in the Illinois utility-scale wind market.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 93
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Topic
Illinois
Data
Sources
Chart 1: Solar deployment was at relatively low levels in Illinois until FEJA, passed in
2017, began to affect solar installations shortly thereafter. Utility-scale projects often
have 3-year or longer lead times, and the utility-scale segment is expected to continue
being a significant share of the market in the near future.
Illinois Annual Solar Installations
750
250
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
| Residential Commercial Community Solar Utility
2021
2022
Solar Energy Industries
Association and Wood
Mackenzie Power &
Renewables, U.S. Solar Market
Insight 2022 Year in Review,
https://www.seia.org/state-
solar-policv/illinois-solar
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 94
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Topic
Illinois
Data
Sources
Chart 2: The first large-scale solar project in Illinois was installed by the utility Exelon in
2010 on a brownfield site in the Chicago area, leading to 100% market share for
RE-Powering sites at that time. No additional RE-Powering solar projects were installed
between 2011 and 2019 in the state, one new solar project on a RE-Powering site was
installed in 2020, and three were installed in 2021, based on EPA's records.
RE-Powering Share of Annual Solar PV Installed Capacity in
Illinois
100% .
90% \
80% \
70% \
60% \
50% I
40% \
30% \
20% \
10% I
0% ' ———
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-powering-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/illinois/
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 95
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Illinois
Topic
Data
Sources
Chart 3: This graph converts annua! data into a cumulative trend, ending with
RE-Powering projects representing approximately 2% of cumulative statewide solar
capacity in 2021. The trendline declined between 2011 and 2019 because no new
RE-Powering projects were recorded during those years when the state's overall solar
market grew.
RE-Powering Share of Cumulative Solar PV Installed
Capacity in Illinois
100%
90%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
https://www.epa.gov/re-
poweririg/'re-powerinE-tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.aov/electricitv/
state/illinois/
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 96
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Chart 4: This graph overlays the trend line of RE-Powering site market share (the same
line seen in Chart 3) with bars showing cumulative solar PV capacity in the state on all
types of sites. By 2021,1,424 MW of solar had been installed in Illinois on all types of
sites.
RE-Powering Cumulative Market Share and
Total Solar PV Capacity in Illinois
1,600
f 1,400
¥ 1,200
u
m 1,000
I 800
1 600
(LI
>
400
D
I 200
0
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
&
Before
https://www.epa.gov/re-
powering/re-poweiing tracking-
matrix
https://www.eia.gov/eiectricitv/
state/illinois/
i Cumulative PV Capacity in State (MW)
-RE-Powering Market Share
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 97
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Topic
Illinois
Data
Sources
General Electricity Market Factors
Power Prices
Illinois has lower-than-average retail electricity prices. The national average retail
electricity price paid by end-use consumers is 11.1 cents/kWh, while Illinois' average
price is 9% lower at 10.14 cents/kWh. Illinois' retail electricity prices are the 25th
highest of the 50 states.
Wholesale electricity prices in the PJM/Commonwealth Edison area around Chicago
average 6.9 cents/kWh, and they average 7.2 cents/kWh in the Midcontinent
Independent System Operator Central Region, which is pertinent to much of the rest of
Illinois. These levels are approximately 8% and 4%, respectively, below the national
average of 7.5 cents/kWh.
Retail electricity prices
(in 2021):
https://www.eia.gov/electricitv/
state/
Wholesale electricity prices in
2022 (generation-only electricity
prices: EIA, Annual Energy
Outlook 2023, Reference Case
Electric Power Projections by
Electricity Market Module
Region):
https://www.eia.g0v/0utl00ks/a
eo/tables ref.oho
Clean Energy
Standard
Under CEJA, signed in September 2021, Illinois has a 40% by 2030 and 50% by 2040
renewable energy standard.
https://www.illinois.gOv/news/p
ress-release.23893.html
For More Information
State Power
Agency POC
Megha Hamal, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer, Illinois Power Agencv:19 megha.hamal@illinois.gov
State
Environmental
Agency POC
Heather Nifong, Associate Director, Illinois Environmental Protection Agencv: heather.nifong@illinois.gov
19 The Illinois Power Agency is an independent state agency created in 2007 to prepare annual electricity procurement plans and manage power purchases on behalf of residential and small
commercial customers of Illinois electric utilities, implement the state's RPS, drive the development of renewable energy, and develop and implement other procurement plans to support at-risk
nuclear plants.
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
Page 98
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List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
AC Alternating Current
Benefit Act Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act (New York)
CDPHE Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
CEJA Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Illinois)
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
CERP Clean Energy Results Program
Climate Act Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (New York)
DC Direct Current
DOER Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
EIA U.S. Energy Information Administration
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FEJA Future Energy Jobs Act (Illinois)
Illinois EPA Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
IPA Illinois Power Agency
kWh Kilowatt-hour
LMI Low-and moderate-income
MassDEP Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MW Megawatt
MWh Megawatt-hour
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NFR No Further Remediation
NIMBY Not In My Backyard
NJ SREC-II Solar Renewable Energy Certificate generated by New Jersey's SuSI Program
NJBPU New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
NJDEP New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
NJEDA New Jersey Economic Development Authority
NJ IT New Jersey Institute of Technology
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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NYSDEC New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
NYSERDA New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
OER Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
OPPN Office of Permitting and Project Navigation (in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection)
PILOT Payment in Lieu of Taxes
PSE&G Public Service Electric & Gas
PV Photovoltaic
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
REC Renewable Energy Certificate
REF Renewable Energy Fund (in Rhode Island)
RE-Powering RE-Powering America's Land Initiative
Rl Commerce Rhode Island Commerce Corporation
RIDEM Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
RPS Renewable Portfolio Standard
SEQRA State Environmental Quality Review Act
SMART Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target
SREC Solar Renewable Energy Certificate
SREC-I Solar Renewable Energy Certificate generated by the first solar RPS carve-out program in Massachusetts and an
abbreviated name for the program itself
SREC-II Solar Renewable Energy Certificate generated by the second solar RPS carve-out program in Massachusetts and an
abbreviated name for the program itself
SuSI Program Successor Solar Incentive Program (in New Jersey)
SWPPP Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan
TBA Targeted Brownfields Assessment
TREC Transition Renewable Energy Certificate
VNM Virtual Net Metering
EPA RE-Powering Profiles of State Programs for Renewables on Landfills, Mines, and Contaminated Sites
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