Twp. Committee Approves Solar Panel Installation at Pill Hill Landfill

Under the terms of an agreement approved Tuesday by the Township Committee, a New York solar vendor now has 18 months to obtain necessary permits for installation of solar panels at the closed Pill Hill landfill. The lease agreement is expected to earn the township about $470,000.

The committee voted 5-0 to approve the deal with Syncarpha EFGI, LLC of New York, following the township attorney's review of a contract given initial approval last month. Township officials have been seeking a solar deal at that location for well over a year.

Syncarpha is due to make an initial payment of $20,000 to the township followed by a commitment to obtain permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection and other necessary energy agencies, said Township Administrator Bruce McArthur.

The contract allows Syncarpha to keep the panels placed at the sloping former landfill property for 20 years, McArthur said on Tuesday.

The township initially received two bids in March for the project, although one bidder eventually withdrew, McArthur said. The township had not received any bids the first two times the project was advertised in the last year or so, he said.

Solar panels already are up for the separate project to install its own system to provide solar energy to its treatment facility off Valley Road. That project is very close to going online, McArthur said Tuesday.