The U.S. Department of Energy is set to construct a 1 GW solar power plant at the former ultra-secret nuclear site of the "Manhattan Project" in Washington state. To recall, the "Manhattan Project" was the code name for the U.S. nuclear weapons development program that began in September 1942.
The Department of Energy plans to collaborate with Hecate Energy to repurpose the 8,000-acre Hanford federal land site. This project is part of the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, launched in July 2023. The program aims to repurpose sections of land owned by the Department of Energy for the generation of clean energy, including areas previously used in the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
Hecate Energy was selected through a competitive process. The Department of Energy and Hecate Energy will negotiate a real estate agreement, during which the Department may revoke its selection for any reason.
The future Hanford solar facility in Washington state, established in 1943, was a top-secret location for the Manhattan Project during World War II. It was here that nuclear reactors produced plutonium for the world's first atomic bombs. The site is situated in a semi-arid desert area along the Columbia River.
"The Department of Energy is transforming thousands of acres of land at our Hanford site into a thriving center for carbon-free solar energy production, setting an example in cleaning up our environment and creating new economic opportunities for local communities," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.
Source: electrek
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