New Haven turns a capped landfill into a 1,920-panel solar farm that pays the city

New Haven installed 1,920 solar panels on a sealed landfill cap at 260 Middletown Ave using ballast blocks to avoid penetrating the liner, producing about 1.4 million kWh annually (roughly enough for 200 homes). The city didn’t spend on construction and now earns about $72,000 per year ($1.4 million over 20 years) via a lease with Greenskies Clean Energy, which sells the power to United Illuminating. Construction took about ten months, with the system going live around July 9, 2026, illustrating how capped landfills can become revenue sources rather than mowing costs.