Gloucester Township opened the Timber Creek Solar Park on Friday, July 14.
Two years ago, the township started working on the Timber Creek Solar Park. Mayor David R. Mayer told The Sun that during his time on town council in 2003, Owens Corning Fiberglass Company came to the township and offered to give the property to it for $1. At the time, the township did not buy the property because it was unusable.
About a year ago, the township went to settlement on the property. It was sold to the township for $1.
“I wanted a plan to look at how to reduce energy costs and make us more sustainable,” Mayer said about when he was elected to office.
The Energy Savings Improvement Program was developed shortly after Mayer was elected. Since then, Gloucester Township has received the Silver Certified, top level award for sustainability from the state and has put into place many solar projects. The solar park is the largest single location solar project to date, according to Mayer.
“I look at it as reducing the cost of government and doing good for the environment,” Mayer said.
The solar park is a power purchase agreement. This means the developer, Marina Energy LLC, financed, designed and constructed the solar park at no cost to the township. The township then buys the energy from the developer, who sells it back to the electric company since it is required by law to produce so much clean energy. So, the township is saving money and using clean energy.
The developer leases the land from the township, which will yield $830,000 in lease payments over the next 10 years.
The park is estimated to produce 4,428,150 kWh per year. It has 10,566 solar panels and adds an environmental benefit of saving 3,179 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is equivalent of CO2 offset of 79,706 trees.
“People want to see their municipalities not only be cost efficient in energy but also make an impact on the well-being of future generations. And in Gloucester Township, we strive to align economic objectives with community values while improving the environment at the same time,” Mayer said in the township’s press release about the solar park.
The Timber Creek Solar Park is located at 300 Somerdale Road.
