WHY IT RATES: Six Flags already thrills visitors every year, but now the theme park is doing its part to positively impact the environment.-Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.
Six Flags Great Adventure and its partner KDC Solar announced construction will begin soon to make the New Jersey property the world's first solar-powered theme park.
"This is a proud day for our company. This project represents a giant step toward becoming a net-zero carbon facility," said Six Flags Great Adventure Park President John Winkler. "We are pleased that we were able to come to a satisfactory agreement with all parties involved. Clean energy is right for the environment and our future, and we look forward to decades of environmental stewardship with our partner, KDC Solar."
The 23.5-megawatt solar project will include solar carports over select parking lots and 40 acres of ground-mounted solar panels. Six Flags expects construction to begin by March and for the solar facility to be fully operational by the end of 2019.
In addition to the production of clean energy and helping to limit the park's reliance on harmful fossil fuels, KDC Solar will use more than 99,000 hours of union labor in constructing this project.
As conservationists for nearly 45 years, Six Flags Great Adventure has cared for more than 70 different species of animals, including some that are endangered and even extinct in the wild. The Jackson theme park recycles more than 60 percent of its annual waste, including manure, paper, plastic, wood and mixed garbage. The theme park eliminated the use of paper towels in favor of energy-efficient hand dryers and is firmly committed to other energy-saving programs.
"We are continually searching for new ways to operate more efficiently and enhance our role as good stewards of the environment," Winkler said.
Six Flags will additionally preserve more than 200 acres of forest, wetlands and wetlands transition areas.
"We are pleased to move forward with this groundbreaking solar project. Six Flags has been a patient and cooperative partner throughout this process, and we look forward to delivering clean renewable electricity to Six Flags. Once operational, this project will be the largest net metered solar project in the State of New Jersey and very much in line with Governor Murphy's pledge to support renewable energy," said Alan Epstein, President and CEO of KDC Solar.
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