Study to be conducted on OPPD, Douglas County landfill solar project

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Omaha Public Power District announced it will begin a feasibility study on its new solar project with Douglas County in December.

The project is intended to take the old landfill near 126th and State streets in Omaha and convert it into a solar energy farm.

The landfill operated from 1973 to 1989 before it was closed and capped to isolate waste.

“Closed landfills have limited future uses,” Kent Holm, director of Douglas County Environmental Services, said in a press release. “This project identifies a potential compatible use that will provide additional power to the community.”

The project is called the SOLUS initiative, which stands for “solar on landfills utility scale.” A study to ensure that the project is feasible will begin in December and end next summer.

“We are excited to see this project move forward,” Douglas County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson said in the release. “This project comes at a critical time to meet a greater demand for electricity due to a growing population and new industrial customers within the service district. It is a win-win for the County, OPPD, and ultimately our citizens.”

OPPD says the location is a perfect fit due to its proximity to a nearby OPPD substation.

It’s not yet known how many megawatts of power the solar farm would provide, but the plot of land being examined spans 160 acres.

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