MONTAGUE — Town Administrator Steve Ellis relayed to the Selectboard this week that the Kearsarge Energy power company has achieved a “commercially operable moment” at the newest solar array at the 163-acre capped burn dump on Sandy Lane.
While the company already operates two functional solar arrays on the town property next to Judd Wire, attention has recently been paid to launching a third array between the first two. Installation of the third array, which followed a two-decade-long effort to environmentally contain the burn dump, wrapped up in the fall.
Once operational, the new array will generate 2.9 megawatts of energy, totaling 8.8 megawatts when combined with the 5.9 megawatts that is produced from the two pre-existing arrays. Ellis said at Monday’s Selectboard meeting that Kearsarge is waiting to “go live and generate electricity” until the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program incentive is approved by the state.
Ellis said the array’s operation “should be happening pretty quickly,” but that the starting point will ultimately be determined by the Department of Public Utilities.
In terms of the installation, though, town officials spoke positively on what has already been completed.
“I was at the transfer station this weekend and the work that they’ve done to that area is amazing,” Selectboard Chair Rich Kuklewicz commented at Monday’s meeting.
“It’s really exciting to know that that project, which we looked at as a major risk to the community both environmentally and economically, is in its final phase in the way it is now,” Ellis said.
Town Planner Walter Ramsey previously said implementing a solar array was an effort to not only improve the health of the watershed, but as a logical next step in reusing land unfit for much of anything else. In addition to generating renewable energy, benefits of the town’s agreement with Kearsarge include a lease payment of more than $166,000 per year, a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) valued at $65,000 per year and renewable energy credits that save the town about $30,000 per year in electricity costs.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.