The Dane County Board is seeking to convert the former Verona Landfill into a solar array and has hired a consultant to conduct an assessment of the site, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Cornerstone Environmental Group will analyze the spot next to Badger Prairie Health Care Center at 1100 E. Verona Ave. over the next year to determine the feasibility and requirements of the conversion project. The board approved a $222,500 agreement with Cornerstone last on May 15.
The landfill shut down in 1986 following nine years of operation, and while it was never licensed for hazardous waste dumping, due diligence is required to repurpose it. The location’s new plans must not damage the existing cap on the landfill, but as it can’t be redeveloped for buildings or agriculture, the spot could prove ideal for a solar array.
The county will need to seek additional analysis beyond what Cornerstone provides. The board will consider a resolution in the next month outlining an agreement with a still-unnamed solar developer.
If plans progress, up to 30 acres of the former landfill could be transformed into a five-megawatt or 10-megawatt solar array providing renewable energy to Dane County residents.
