The Savannah River Site continues to go green.
The Department of Energy held an information session Thursday afternoon at Aiken Technical College to discuss the potential of locating utility-scale green energy projects at the 310-square mile site located south of Aiken.
Ingrid Kolb, director of the department’s Office of Management, said the information session is a part of the department’s Clean up to clean energy initiative.
The initiative is an effort to lease Department of Energy owned land to developers of clean energy to benefit surrounding communities and the country.
“At the Savannah River Site, the plan is to lease the land to developers for the purpose of constructing a clean energy source,” Kolb said. “It could be a solar array. It could be wind. It could be nuclear. [Or it] could be a whole wide range of clean energy sources.”
The plan is to connect the clean energy source to South Carolina’s electric grid provided much-needed power to the fast-growing Palmetto State, she said.
Kolb added the clean energy sources could also generate new jobs.
The Savannah River Site is a huge user of conventional power, Mike Budney, manager of the Office of Environmental Management Savannah River Field Office, said.
Leasing land allows the site to give back, Budney continued.
Jeff Hynds, program manager for water utilities and carbon-free generation at the site, said the department has already received proposals for a solar array to be constructed on the site.
He added the department is working to have something in place by Aug. 29, which is when Dominion Energy’s interconnection window closes.