Six Flags Great Adventure gets OK for solar farm that will cut down 15,000 trees

JACKSON — The township Planning Board on Wednesday approved a controversial solar farm for Six Flags Great Adventure.

The 21-megawatt solar farm will be built by KDC Solar in a remote area of the park, in an undeveloped section, where nearly 15,000 trees will be torn down.

Six environmental groups filed a lawsuit last year and instead pushed for the solar canopies to be placed in a 100-acre parking lot. Hundreds also testified against the project.

Six flags officials scaled back the initial number of trees to be removed, but were not willing give up parking spaces.

Jeff Tittel, executive director of the Sierra Club of New Jersey, said the project is right, but it's on the wrong site.

“This is a black eye for green energy. The Planning Board sold out the people and environment of Jackson by approving this solar clear-cut plan. We should not be destroying a forest for solar panels," Tittel said in a prepared statement. "This goes against the purpose of putting up solar array in the first place."

Six Flags attorney Raymond Shea contended that a scaled back plan to cover an employee parking lot with canopy-mounted panels still wasn't enough for opponents, according to the Asbury Park Press.