Hamilton council hears landfill solar proposal; introduces lease ordinance

Hamilton Township officials on March 5 heard a presentation from Soluxe Hamilton Solar Redevelopment LLC on a proposal to build a solar array atop a capped township landfill and introduced an ordinance authorizing a lease agreement with the developer.

Ryan Malone, president and founder of the developer, told the council the company plans to build solar on the existing landfill under a post‑closure use permit and engineering oversight so the landfill cap will not be penetrated. Malone said the site is “ideal” for landfill solar and emphasized environmental compliance and geotechnical work to avoid subsidence.

Malone described the deal terms presented to the township: a prepaid lease payment of about $1,014,000 and an annual pilot/rent payment reported at approximately $30,000 per year for 15 years. He also projected that selling power to the township at a lower contract rate would create about $2,000,000 in avoided utility costs over 15 years and characterized the total 15‑year value to the town at roughly $3,400,000; he framed the package as costing the township no upfront dollars.

On methodology, Malone said the developer compared 12 months of township utility bills to the proposed contract price (his team cited an approximate current utility rate of 10¢/kWh and a proposed power charge near 8.5¢/kWh). He said the analysis assumed a 1.8% annual escalation in utility rates and that, based on the bills provided, the project would offset about 90% of township buildings’ electricity use. He added the proposal covers township meters only and does not extend to private customers’ meters.

Malone estimated a nine‑month construction period after regulatory and planning approvals, and said the timetable depends on Board of Public Utilities (BPU) rulemaking required under recent state legislation; if BPU rules are delayed the project start could be postponed by several months. He said the company hopes to break ground in September and be operational for peak production in the following June–July cycle.

The council introduced Ordinance 24‑015 on first reading to authorize a solar lease agreement for Block 2154, Lot 21 (the clerk corrected an earlier lot reference in the meeting). A motion to introduce the ordinance passed on a roll‑call vote recorded as 4‑0.

Council members and the developer emphasized local hiring commitments: Malone said the company intends to hire locally and work with building trades and unions on the project. Officials noted further design review will occur before planning board and redevelopment approvals, and that additional presentations will follow.

Next steps: the ordinance will proceed through the required hearings and planning reviews; the council and staff said they will return with detailed project design, final contract terms and any updates on the BPU rulemaking timetable.