The untapped link between environmental obligations and clean energy opportunity.

For many companies, environmental obligations persist long after operations end. Capped landfills, legacy industrial sites, and Superfund properties often carry decades of ongoing costs, from groundwater treatment and gas monitoring to leachate pumping and regulatory reporting. The land may be inactive, but the invoices aren’t.

And yet, on that very same land lies an opportunity: the chance to turn remediation cost centers into revenue-generating clean energy assets.

What was once fenced off as risk is now being reframed as a platform for solar development that can power cleanup systems, reduce long-term spend, and advance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes.

It’s not just technically viable. It’s commercially strategic—backed by EPA guidance and policy mechanisms that, while evolving, still offer meaningful support for brownfield and environmental justice (EJ) site redevelopment. The window for incentives is narrowing, but the opportunity is very much active.

Idle Land. Active Demand.

Environmental remediation is a long game—and an expensive one. Annual costs for operation & maintenance (O&M), groundwater monitoring, and system maintenance can stretch into the hundreds of thousands per site, often for decades. Multiply that across a portfolio, and companies may be carrying tens of millions in long-term liability.

Meanwhile, the land sits idle. Fence lines expand. Budgets tighten. And yet, power demand is surging.

U.S. electricity demand is projected to climb 13% by 2030, fueled by electric vehicles and data centers. These two alone are expected to add 290 terawatt-hours (TWh) of new load to a grid that’s held steady around 4,000 TWh since 2010.

At the same time, grid reliability is under pressure. PJM, the nation’s largest grid operator, is facing critical stress in high-load regions from retiring fossil assets and fast-tracked data center buildouts.

In this landscape, underutilized land isn’t just an inefficiency. It’s a missed strategic asset.

Clean Energy + Cleanup: A Strategic Alignment

Pairing solar development with long-term remediation is a growing model known as green remediation, and the EPA’s Best Practices Framework endorses it.

Here’s how it works:

• On-site solar arrays can directly support cleanup operations by powering groundwater extraction systems, vapor recovery units, or leachate treatment infrastructure, lowering long-term energy costs.
• Larger systems can deliver power back to the grid or local end users through power purchase agreements (PPAs), generating revenue that offsets remediation expenses or supports broader ESG goals.
• In some cases, solar infrastructure can serve as the cap itself, eliminating the need for a separate cover and helping demonstrate closure integrity with built-in monitoring access.

And while recent legislation has begun to sunset portions of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy incentives earlier than expected, projects can still benefit from remaining incentives, particularly for brownfield redevelopment and EJ sites. The financial landscape is shifting, but opportunities remain for near-term deployment under existing provisions (subject to U.S. Treasury guidance), including:

• No change in IRA incentives if the project begins construction before July 5, 2026, and is placed in service by July 5, 2030, to satisfy the continuity safe harbor
• Projects beginning construction after July 5, 2026, can still claim the incentives if placed in service by the end of 2027

This is no longer a niche solution. It’s a viable, time-sensitive strategy for turning long-term cost centers into productive, ESG-aligned infrastructure, while strengthening the financial case for environmental stewardship.

The Numbers Add Up

Consider a 50-acre remediation site—enough land for a 5 to 7 megawatt (MW) solar system.

• That project could generate $300,000 to $600,000 per year in energy value (via offset or offtake)
• Over 25 years, that’s $7.5 to $15 million in total economic benefit
• With federal incentives still available in the near term, payback timelines can fall under 6 to 8 years—but the most favorable economics depend on acting before phase-outs take effect
• Meanwhile, remediation O&M powered by on-site energy sees ongoing cost reduction for pumps, sensors, and systems that would otherwise rely on the grid

This isn’t just “green.” It’s financially sound—and increasingly, expected.

Regulators Are Watching. So Are Investors.

The EPA has long supported the integration of renewable energy into remediation strategies. However, stakeholders beyond the agency are increasingly paying attention.

• Investors want to know how legacy liabilities are being managed—and whether ESG claims are backed by infrastructure, not offsets
• Communities want to see how formerly harmful land is being brought back into the public good
• Boards and C-suites are looking for ways to move from disclosure to action—delivering environmental performance that’s visible, verifiable, and real

Clean energy on impacted land is no longer an outlier. It’s a sign of leadership.

Verdantas Knows the Terrain

Combining solar and remediation isn’t simple. It requires a partner who understands both worlds—and can engineer the bridge between them.

Verdantas has decades of experience working inside post-closure requirements, CERCLA and RCRA frameworks, and regulatory programs at the federal and state levels. We’ve delivered renewable energy systems on landfills, mine sites, and legacy industrial parcels—without compromising site integrity or environmental controls.  We understand what’s at stake: regulatory scrutiny, reputational risk, and long-term liability. That’s why our systems are engineered for compliance and built for trust.

We are experienced in:

• Protecting caps and maintaining monitoring access
• Working within engineering controls and land use restrictions
• Aligning solar permitting with environmental oversight
• And delivering systems that are technically, financially, and regulatorily sound

This isn’t theory. We’ve done it—and we’re helping others see how they can, too.

Our recent work spans some of the most complex environmental sites in the country. Projects include:

• BHP San Manuel Mine, Arizona
  Supporting feasibility evaluation for a potential 300 MW solar installation at a closed mining site. Verdantas scoped multiple array configurations, interconnection options, and power offtake pathways, while soliciting competitive market responses on BHP’s behalf.
• Milliken Landfill, San Bernardino County, California
  Originating, permitting, and overseeing design and procurement for a 3.1 MW solar system installed on a closed landfill. The system is now operational and delivering power to SoCal Edison under a 30-year PPA negotiated by Verdantas.
• Landfill PV Assessments, Hawaii
  Partnering with Gestamp Solar to assess and define utility-scale solar opportunities across multiple closed landfill sites in Hawaii.
• Celanese Site, Bishop, Texas
  Advising on the proposed development of an 80 MW solar installation at an active industrial facility, aligning siting, permitting, and commercial strategy with ongoing operations.

Let’s Evaluate What Your Site Can Do

If you’re managing a remediation site, landfill, or legacy industrial parcel, Verdantas can help you explore whether solar makes financial and operational sense, starting with a no-cost preliminary evaluation.

• Physical feasibility and capacity sizing
• Regulatory constraints and permitting pathways
• Interconnection options and commercial models
• Potential O&M cost savings and energy offsets

You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of whether your site is a candidate—and how to make the most of current incentives before the window narrows.

Together, let’s reclaim your environmental legacy for tomorrow’s innovation. Reach out today.