Last year, Council voted down requests to endorse the building of solar farms on prime agricultural growing lands in Flamborough. Numerous solar power generating companies were eyeing Hamilton’s vast agricultural lands for power generation.
The decision to protect agricultural lands wasn’t an anti-solar vote. At the end of the debate, Terry Whitehead moved for City staff to bring back a report about the feasibility of using the City’s fourteen landfill sites for the installation of solar panels.
Staff identified the Glanbrook landfill site as a possible location for a possible 5,000 Kilowatts solar farm which will cost an estimated $12.5-million to build and generate an expected $1,115,900 in annual revenues for the City.
To determine if the solar farm on this site will be viable, the City needs to conduct a detailed feasibility study which will cost $150,000.
In Public Works Committee today, Councillors approved the spending with a timeline of completing the study by the end of 2016.