The biggest floating solar farm in North America is now officially online and ready to produce clean energy.

This solar farm covers 17 acres of the Canoe Brook reservoir in Short Hills, New Jersey and, with 16,510 solar panels, it will produce enough energy to power 1,400 homes annually. Also, the solar array will provide approximately 95% of the power needs for New Jersey American Water’s Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant.

NRJ Clean Energy Ventures, a subsidiary of New Jersey Resources announced the construction of this plant last year, and last week NJR CER and New Jersey American Water held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project.

“This initiative provides a meaningful reduction of traditional energy use that benefits the environment, as well as our customers through limited capital expense and reduced power costs,” said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water.

Floating solar farms are perfect for using space in a more efficient way. By putting solar panels on reservoirs or man-made lakes, underutilized space can be used to produce clean energy. Also, floating solar panels can help to reduce water evaporation and algae growth in the reservoir, while the water helps the solar panels to stay cooler and operate more efficiently.

“Floating solar technology creates new opportunities for underutilized bodies of water, allowing space that would otherwise sit vacant to enable large-scale renewable energy generation, which helps to bring the benefits of clean energy to even more customers,” said Robert Pohlman, vice president of NJR Clean Energy Ventures.

Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette said, “sound and consistent investment in renewable energy is critical to reducing climate pollution and the resulting flooding, wildfire, and extreme heat repeatedly harming New Jersey’s communities and economy.”