Yeoman Solar in Waukegan, Illinois.
CleanCapital announced the upcoming completion of two brownfield solar development projects: Yeoman Solar in Waukegan, Illinois, and Little Elk Solar in Elkton, Maryland.
The Yeoman solar project, scheduled to be commissioned in late 2025, is a 9.15 MW community solar project built on the Yeoman Creek Landfill Superfund site, a site undergoing environmental remediation. The Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60 owns the portion of the EPA Superfund site that is being converted into an energy generation hub. The Yeoman solar project, which is participating in the Illinois Solar for All Low-Income Community Solar Pilot Program, will provide low-income Waukegan households with 50% off electricity credits, saving each subscriber an estimated $400 per year. CleanCapital has partnered with PowerMarket to manage subscriber engagement and enrollment and has expanded anchor subscription capabilities to Waukegan Community Unit School District No. 60, further strengthening community ties.
“The Yeoman solar project is the largest community solar installation in ComEd’s service territory, and its completion is an important milestone for CleanCapital, as well as for Waukegan-area customers looking to reduce their energy costs,” said Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of ComEd. “We look forward to continuing to work with CleanCapital as the company brings more renewable energy to the grid for the benefit of ComEd customers.”
The Little Elk Solar Project, with a capacity of 822 kW, is also expected to be commissioned by the end of 2025. Located on an EPA Superfund site that was previously home to a paper mill and solvent recycling facilities, this project marks an important step in repurposing contaminated land for clean energy generation. Before development began, this project was acquired by CleanCapital as part of its acquisition of BQ Energy, a long-time national leader in landfill and brownfield renewable energy development. Little Elk Solar is expected to produce 1,084 MWh annually and provide energy under the Maryland Community Solar Energy Generation System Pilot Program, with at least 50% of the energy dedicated to serving low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers in the Delmarva area.
“Both solar projects underscore the transformative potential of developing brownfields and Superfund sites into productive renewable energy generation assets,” said Paul Curran, Chief Development Officer at CleanCapital. “Projects like these are what our team at CleanCapital is keen to invest and develop in, as it will bring affordable and reliable energy to people in local communities, reducing their monthly energy bills.”
News item from CleanCapital
