A 100-acre site in Tinton Falls, NJ that likely would have resulted in the construction of a new school and costly municipal services like fire and police protection will instead be generating enough new electricity to power some 3,000 households within a year.

At a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Mayor Michael Skudera hailed the $80 million solar farm project that will see the installation of  85,000 solar panels and generate between 200 and 300 construction jobs.

The alternative energy project is being built by Tinton Falls Solar Farm, a
subsidiary of the China-based Zongyi Solar America Co.

“We probably would have had to build a new school” had the housing
development been approved, Skudera said. “That would have been a huge
strain on the taxpayers of Tinton Falls.”

In other energy and environmental news last week, Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) and Rider University cut the ribbon on a new .74-megawatt (MW) solar farm at the
Lawrenceville, NJ school. PSE&G owns the solar system and provides Rider
University with a lease payment for the parcel of land it occupies.

Related:
Ground broken for solar panel farm in Tinton Falls
Work to Begin on 100-Acre Solar Farm in Tinton Falls