By Erin Weaver
Increasing demand for renewable energy creates pressure to develop previously open land, but a new initiative points out an abundant source of land ripe for transformation: the nation’s nearly half-million vacant, contaminated sites.
Through “RE-Powering America’s Land,” the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) have evaluated more than 11,000 sites—including brownfields, Superfund sites, landfills, and abandoned mines—with potential for solar, wind, biomass, or geothermal projects. The results are available from EPA as mapping tools and fact sheets for municipalities, businesses, and others interested in developing the sites for renewable energy production. Pilot projects are being conducted to determine sites’ most appropriate energy technology, potential generating capacity, and economic feasibility. For more information, see www.epa.gov.
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