CEP Renewables Completes Construction of New Jersey Brownfield Solar Project

CEP Renewables, NJR Clean Energy Ventures and CS Energy have completed the 19 MW Foul Rift solar project, located in Warren County, N.J.

The project was built on a brownfield that had been the home to a composting facility for nearly 30 years. Prior to the facility ceasing its operations, it had a history of violations received from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. CEP’s development of this project remediated environmental damage at the site.

“This project demonstrates both New Jersey’s strong policy support for brownfield and landfill solar projects, as well as the power of developing a grid supply solar farm to remediate environmental damages that would not have otherwise been addressed,” says Chris Ichter, executive vice president at CEP Renewables. 

“We were able to draw upon our prior experience on similarly challenging brownfield and landfill solar projects to develop an effective public-private partnership with White Township that will positively impact generations to come.”

When CEP initially encountered this property, an environmental investigation indicated that the soils were contaminated with metals, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and arsenic, that necessitated the use of an institutional control. 

To bring the site into compliance with regulations, CEP cleared the remaining compost berm and waste materials and negotiated a pre-purchase administrative consent order with NJDEP to resolve the remaining violations and terminate the solid waste permit.

Similar to CEP’s Mount Olive and BEMS landfill solar projects, the Foul Rift project was acquired through the redevelopment and tax lien foreclosure process.