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Mars' candy factory goes green in big way

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By VICTOR EPSTEIN

The Associated Press

Published: November 10, 2009

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. - Those green m&m's are getting greener.

A New Jersey candy factory that produces m&m's flipped the switch Monday on a dedicated solar array that is the largest in the nation to serve a single manufacturing complex, according to Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.

The 18-acre field of solar panels in Hackettstown can generate 2.2 megawatts of clean energy an hour. That's about one-fifth of the plant's power needs, or enough power for roughly 1,800 homes.

McLean, Va.-based Mars Inc. provided the land next to its manufacturing facility.

Newark, N.J.-based PSEG spent more than $10 million building the array of 28,680 solar panels.

It is the 11th-largest solar generation facility in the United States, according to the Washington-based Solar Electric Power Association.

Mars officials declined to specify what kind of deal it is receiving on energy from the array but said it is paying well below market price. PSEG receives a $650 solar credit for each megawatt hour of energy the array generates.

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