Reactivate, WM team up to convert landfills into solar sites
Invenergy subsidiary Reactivate and Waste Management (WM) have reached an agreement to transform more than 50 landfills around the U.S. into solar and energy storage projects, the companies announced Jan. 7.
Reactivate will deploy these solar solutions to “support grid resiliency and generate meaningful economic benefits in the communities where these projects are developed,” officials say. The projects, located on former WM sites, will then be developed, constructed, owned, and operated by Reactivate.
“WM is committed to strengthening the communities where we live and work,” says Tara Hemmer, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer for WM. “We are proud to work with Reactivate, a company WM selected for this project, to help revolutionize these landfill sites to provide needed solar energy.”
WM has already made strides in its renewable energy strategies, using landfill gas to power residential electric grids and using compressed natural gas to fuel waste and recycling trucks. Since 2021, the firm has recorded a 22% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, along with opening five renewable natural gas facilities.
These chosen landfill sites, however, would traditionally be considered unfit for traditional redevelopment. Now, the sites will get a second life, in hopes of assisting nearby communities with residential and small utility-scale solar projects.
Benefitting local communities
Reactivate says it believes renewable energy solutions should benefit everyone across a given community. The mission-driven firm hopes to complete the projects within the next two years, as American energy demand continues to rise thanks to AI data centers, industrial reshoring, and other factors.
“As we advance this portfolio, Reactivate remains deeply committed to safe, responsible operations that prioritize community wellbeing and expects the first phase of projects to reach commercial completion by late 2027,” says Myles Burnsed, Reactivate’s vice president of development.
The projects hope to expand access to energy-saving opportunities for standard households, as well as small businesses and nonprofits in several communities. Additionally, the solar construction projects will increase local solar contracting, creating workforce opportunities across the U.S.
As a result, Reactivate and WM’s plethora of new projects will help to generate local tax revenue for “essential community services and improvements.”
“Repurposing sites that would otherwise be vacant former landfills and cannot support traditional development helps us meet America’s growing energy demand,” says Reactivate CEO Utopia Hill.
