Rochester City officials are celebrating the completion of a new solar field that will help power some city facilities including City Hall.
The solar field is located at the former Emerson Street Landfill, and holds more than 7,800 solar panels, that will generate approximately three million kilowatt hours
The seven acre site has been vacant since 1972 and was recently removed from the state’s list of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites.
Mayor Lovely Warren says the new solar farm will save taxpayer dollars on electric bills, but more importantly it will help reduce the city’s carbon footprint.
The solar field was built by a Colorado company, AES Distributed Energy which will also operate the facility. The state energy research and development authority provided financial support.
Officials say the city saved $4 million in landfill disposal costs in building the pad for the solar field by re-using iron slag excavated during construction of the Port of Rochester Marina
