Solar on Rhode Island Closed Landfills Mark Dennen, Supervisor 235 Promenade St Providence, RI 02908 401-537-4323 Kasie McKenzie, Environmental Engineer II 235 Promenade St Providence, RI 02908 401-537-4349 North Providence Solar – 2.5 MW Forbes Street Solar, East Providence – 6.7 MW A Street Solar, Johnston – 3.9 MW Cranston Landfill Solar – 3.5 MW Prev Next Slide 1 Slide 2 Slide 3 Slide 4 Background The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) Office of Land Revitalization and Sustainable Materials Management (LRSMM) encourages post-closure use of landfills as long as the use will not compromise the environmental protection afforded by the landfill cap and closure. While capped and closed landfills may not be appropriate sites for residential or commercial development, they are more suitable for the installation of a photovoltaic (PV) solar array, which generate renewable energy and may provide income for landfill owners. This page includes LRSMM’s requirements, regulations, the process for approving and additional resources needed to install solar. Regulation In January of 2021 LRSMM revised the Solid Waste Regulation No. 2 (250-RICR-140-05-2). Specifically, Section 2.1.9(J) - Installation of Solar Panels on Landfills was added. To better understand this new Section, the following Guidance Document was created. Guidance Document In the effort to provide a streamlined process for approving solar on landfills, the following guidance document provides a summary of the regulations as well as the permitting process and design considerations when choosing solar. Guidance to Developing Solar on RI Closed Landfills PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Interactive Map of RI Landfills This interactive map shows the location, status, and solar farms on RI landfills. Additional Resources List of Landfill Closure Program Sites in RI Freshwater Wetlands Program and Stormwater Construction Permitting Ground-Mounted Solar Array Guidance EPA Best Practices for Siting Solar on Landfills Mass Guide for Solar on Landfills