Stafford, N.J., Planning Board Approves Solar Project for Developer

Walters Group Presents Plans for Alternative Energy at Stafford Park. End Quote

Newark, NJ (1888PressRelease) October 22, 2010 - Walters Group is one step closer to building a 6.5-megawatt solar farm at Stafford Business Park. The project received unanimous approval during a Stafford Township Planning Board meeting.

Once fully approved, the project is expected to get underway this fall. As the designated redeveloper of Stafford Park, Walters plans to build and install the 1,026 solar arrays on the surface of a closed/capped landfill without the need for any excavation. The completed system will be a ballasted design, sitting atop approximately 30 acres. To date, it is one of the largest and most ambitious solar power projects proposed in the state.

Walters Group explained that building a solar farm on a former contaminated site at Stafford Park is in the best interest of the local community. It brings land back into productive use and meets the state's future needs for energy, according to the developer.

Also, speaking during the meeting was Aaron Scheinberg, a representative from Operation Free, a group of U.S. military veterans advocating for clean energy policies. He said, "We must invest in renewable energy, and we must invest now. Any investment we make in solar energy is going to make our nation safer."

Representatives of the organization travel around the country, campaigning to end America's dependence on oil. The organization believes a dependence on fossil fuel is a security threat and, as a result, promotes the use of wind, solar and other technologies that allow the use of natural resources cleanly.

Stafford Park's potential for wind turbine energy has been evaluated by Walters Group, which plans to integrate wind power into the overall renewable energy effort at Stafford Park. According to data from the EPA, when factoring in the existing retail solar panels, and the proposed solar and wind facility at Stafford Park, the environmental benefits equal enough electricity to power 1,422 homes and eliminate some 11,720 metric tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of removing over 2,241 cars from the road for one year.

###

space

Other Related Press Releases