North Carolina landfill going solar

Raleigh, N.C.-based Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN) said today that it signed a deal to buy power from a planned one megawatt solar power plant to be built on the site of a now-closed landfill in Haywood County.

Black Mountain, N.C.'s FLS Energy will build, own and operate the solar photovoltaic array and sell the energy to the utility for distribution to customers.

Evergreen Packaging, also based in North Carolina, owns the former landfill site.

"This is the third megawatt-sized solar project we have signed this year," said Robert Sipes, VP for Progress Energy's western N.C. region.

"It combines an important emerging technology with an outstanding location, and we're pleased to be part of it. We're pursuing technology, partnerships and other agreements to expand the use of renewable energy in North Carolina."

Progress Energy said the FLS Energy solar farm will include 3,288 photovoltaic panels installed on seven acres at the closed landfill. Evergreen Packaging will lease the land to FLS Energy for 20 years, the term of the power purchase agreement.

The solar farm is expected to start producing electricity in the spring of 2009.

Last year, Progress Energy signed a deal to buy electricity from a waste-wood biomass plant in Florida from Atlanta's Biomass Gas & Electric (see Progress Energy to get biomass power in Florida).

Progress Energy said the plant was being designed to use yard trimmings, tree bark and wood knots from paper mills to create electricity.

Cleantech developments making news in the past 24 hours

• Nexamp closes Series A round, brings on new CEO
• Water innovation beyond desal: the new opportunities?
• Areva to launch solar business with Ausra takeover

View the last week of cleantech developments here | Subscribe to full feed