Revitalizing and RE-Powering Developments
As the demand for renewable energy grows, so does the land requirement for renewable sources. To reduce the environmental impacts of these energy systems by protecting open land, contaminated sites provide a unique opportunity: RE-Powering. For developers, this is a great chance to dip your toes into the renewable energy sector.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative, “RE-Powering America’s Land,” encourages the revitalization of formerly contaminated sites such as brownfields, landfills, and Superfund sites for renewable energy development. The EPA has identified over 190,000 potential sites and their renewable energy potential to help facilitate redevelopment, which can be viewed on an interactive “RE-Powering Mapper” application1.
Successful developers have been using this tool to help identify potential installation sites since 2008—leading to 624 installations developed as of December 2024:
88% solar photovoltaic (PV)
5% wind
Remaining combination of geothermal, biomass, or hydropower2
There are several advantages to leveraging these sites for renewable energy development3:
Reduced project cycle times with streamlined permitting and zoning
Existing infrastructure such as connections to power grid or sewer lines
Possible tax incentives and reduced land costs
Increased community engagement and support for development through revitalization efforts
RE-Powering merges the demand for renewable energy with the desire for revitalization efforts, encouraging more sustainable energy development practices. If developers want to take it one step further, they can consider implementing a pollinator-friendly solar array, covering their site in native plants that filter stormwater and provide food for pollinators4. Through RE-Powering, a once contaminated and abandoned site can have a new life as a solar farm apiary.
[1] RE-Powering America's Land | US EPA
[2] Tracking Matrix | US EPA
[3] What is RE-Powering? | US EPA
[4] The Center for Pollinators in Energy - Fresh Energy
Kaitlin Thell Ouverson, PE
Kaitlin is a civil engineer at Geosyntec Consultants where she works on brownfield redevelopment projects and environmental solutions.
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McKenzie Pearson, EIT
McKenzie is a graduate student in Environmental Engineering at the University of Minnesota and an environmental engineering intern at Geosyntec Consultants.
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