CX-100541 Categorical Exclusion Determination

Installation of Solar Panels at Municipal Owned Facilities
Award Number: DE-EE0003195
CX(s) Applied: B5.16
Solar Energy Technology Office
Date: 07/30/2014
Location(s): NJ
Office(s): Golden Field Office

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to the City of Elizabeth, NJ for installation of solar panels to link its solar energy systems to its municipal buildings’ highest energy consuming components: Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC), boilers, generators and lighting. DOE completed a previous NEPA review (GFO-0003195-001 CX A9 & B5.1 5/26/2011) for this project and reached a conditional determination excluding several proposed locations due to their age and the need for a consultation/approval from the State Historic Preservation Officer. As a result of the previous determination, Task 1 “Planning and Design” was completed. This task proved several of the previously chosen locations to be unfeasible. Therefore, a new list of locations has been chosen and a new determination is required for the purpose of going forward with Tasks 2-5 which include activities such as solar array construction, system operation, education and outreach, and project measurement and reporting.

The City of Elizabeth, NJ seeks to install a solar panel system atop municipally-owned buildings including Peterstown Community Center, 408 Palmer Street; Erxleben Recreation Center, 513-515 Richmond Street; Mickey Walker Recreation Center, 800-860 Anna St.; Department of Public Works Maintenance Facility, 400 Atlantic St.; Trumbull Street Emergency Response Facility, 442-464 Trumbull Street; and the Stephen Sampson Center, 860 Anna Street. The only modification to each building would be a rooftop photovoltaic system. Standard local building permits would be required and the City would assist in obtaining these permits from its local construction department. No other permits or permissions would be required.