Chatham Township is moving ahead with a $4.2 million solar energy plan covering three municipal facilities, including a floating solar installation at its wastewater treatment plant. The Chatham Township Committee unanimously approved two bond ordinances on Tuesday, October 13, authorizing the borrowing after months of planning and analysis.
The financing is addressed in two bond ordinances, according to New Jersey Hills Media Group. The two ordinances each provide $2.1 million for solar projects: one at the municipal building and Department of Public Works facility, and the other at the Water Pollution Control Plant. The Chatham Township government confirmed the formal adoption of Bond Ordinances 2026-11 and 2026-12, which appropriate $2.1 million each for solar systems at the municipal building and public works site and at the sewer utility, with each project carrying a 15-year useful life estimate.
A Floating Array for the Sewer Plant
The Water Pollution Control Plant is one of the facilities included in the township's solar plan. Floating solar systems place panels on bodies of water rather than on land.
Floating solar offers an alternative to land- or roof-mounted panels. Floating arrays on utility water bodies also reduce surface evaporation while blocking sunlight that can otherwise fuel harmful algal blooms, per Choose New Jersey.
Officials Point to Firehouse as Proof of Concept
The Chatham Township Environmental Commission minutes from November 13, 2024, said the River Road firehouse was getting a new roof and solar panels would be installed.
Officials say the planned installations could save taxpayers money, though township officials did not provide updated estimates of the potential savings. The bond ordinances were first introduced on September 22, and the committee held public hearings before the October 13 vote.
A 20-Day Period for Legal Challenges
The projects remain in the planning stage. Under New Jersey's Local Bond Law, a 20-day period for filing a suit challenging an ordinance's validity begins with the first publication of the notice, according to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
The committee has not yet awarded any construction contracts for the solar installations, and the township has not announced when the systems would begin operating or publicly established a final construction schedule.
