Northampton, a city in Massachusetts, is seeking to become greener by turning an old landfill into a solar farm, which the city hopes will help provide it with a new source of revenue, and the project could begin as early as this summer.
Many other municipalities in the state have converted old waste dumps into green energy producers.
Northampton will not be the first municipality in the state to transform old landfills into solar farms, but it may be the first in its region to install solar panels in parking lots. According to the city’s energy officer, Chris Mason, solar arrays may be installed at some municipal parking lots, which would be a first in Western Massachusetts.
The landfill that is being considered for the solar project has been closed in the city of Northampton for two years. The 15-acre site has generated plenty of controversy over its years of operation, as well as lawsuits from neighbors, due to its foul stench. However, the capped landfill has finally settled sufficiently enough to make the construction of thousands of solar panels at the site, a possibility.