Largest landfill solar project in North America now delivering clean energy MORRISTOWN, N.J., Feb. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has completed a grid connection for a 19.8-megawatt solar project located at a former landfill property in Mount Olive, New Jersey, that is now delivering clean energy through FirstEnergy's transmission lines. JCP&L Logo (PRNewsfoto/FirstEnergy Corp.)For the past year, JCP&L has worked with the project's developer to construct a grid connection point with an existing 34.5-kilovolt transmission line and to make associated line and system upgrades to support the project. In late January, the project – the largest landfill solar project in North America – was successfully connected and began delivering energy to the grid. The Mount Olive site is owned by CEP Renewables and is being leased to NJR Clean Energy Ventures, which will own and operate the facility long term. "FirstEnergy and JCP&L are committed to supporting the global energy transition to renewable resources, and we are pleased to have worked with CEP Renewables to connect this innovative solar project to the grid and enable the delivery of clean energy to local communities," said Jim Fakult, president of New Jersey operations for FirstEnergy. CEP Renewables designs, develops and builds utility-scale solar projects. The company currently has 16 landfill or brownfield solar projects under development and has completed over 100 megawatts of solar projects in New Jersey in support of the state's New Jersey Energy Master Plan.
In November, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) awarded JCP&L the construction responsibility to connect clean energy generated by New Jersey's offshore wind farms to the power grid.
FirstEnergy continues to make investments that support clean energy and improve grid reliability and resiliency. Through its multi-year Energizing the Future initiative, the company is upgrading its transmission system with advanced equipment and technologies that will reinforce the power grid and help reduce the frequency and duration of customer outages. Since 2014, FirstEnergy has upgraded or replaced existing power lines, incorporated smart technology into the grid and upgraded dozens of substations with new equipment and enhanced security features.
Through 2022, FirstEnergy has invested more than $10 billion in the Energizing the Future initiative.