Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Public Service Board, on March 23, granted Coolidge Solar I, LLC a certificate of public good to construct a 20 megawatt solar electric array in Ludlow, which would be “by far” the largest solar electric facility in Vermont. Construction could start as early as the end of 2017, pending all state and local permits. The power is scheduled to be sold entirely to Connecticut utilities, as part of a 20-year power purchase agreement.
Unlike some other renewable energy projects, this project received the blessing of local officials in Ludlow, where it would be located. The facility will be connected to the VELCO substation in Cavendish. The PSB notes that the project would generate about $4 million annually in local and state tax revenues.
Coolidge Solar is an affiliate of Ranger Solar of Yarmouth, ME. Ranger has plans to build much larger solar facilities in New England, including a 65 MW facility in Hinsdale, NH, which is just across the Connecticut River from the shuttered Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in Vernon. An even more massive 100 MW facility is proposed by Ranger at the former Loring Air Force base in Maine.
The largest currently operating solar facility in Vermont is the 4.7 MW Green Mountain Power/GlobalFoundries array in Williston.
According to the Public Service Board order authorizing the installation and operation of the Coolidge Solar Project: “At 20 MW, the Project would be by far the largest solar plant constructed in Vermont to date, and as such it had the potential to raise significant issues under the Section 248 criteria because of its scale. However, the Petitioner has mitigated any potential issues by choosing a site that is close to existing energy infrastructure and generally shielded from private residences and public view. The Petitioner configured the Project to substantially avoid disturbing natural resources on the parcel and presented a life-cycle analysis of the Project, including the impact of tree clearing to accommodate the arrays, that demonstrates that the power generated will produce significantly lower greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions per kWh than conventional electricity generation would produce. Additionally, the host municipality has expressed support for the Project. Furthermore, the Project will provide economic benefit to the State, including $4 million in increased state and local tax revenue. These facts contributed to the overall finding that the Project is in the public interest. For these reasons and for the reasons discussed below, we conclude that, subject to conditions, the Project will promote the general good of the State of Vermont in accordance with 30 V.S.A. § 248 and a CPG shall be issued to that effect.”
Along with the tax benefits, the PSB found that over a 20-year term, the solar facility will create approximately 245 job-years, over $15 million in labor income, more than $25 million in gross domestic profit for the state
The 20 MW (AC) solar electric generation facility that will be sited on approximately 88.5 acres of a larger 155-acre parcel located off Barker Road in Ludlow. It will interconnect at VELCO’s Coolidge substation in Cavendish. The Project will include approximately 82,000 individual 320-watt solar panels.
According to the PSB documents, it is estimated that during the construction phase, the project will employ 80 people. Four full-time, permanent positions are expected thereafter.
Coolidge Solar is expected to operate beyond the 20-year Connecticut power purchase agreement, after which, the PSB wrote, its energy, capacity, and RECs could help meet Vermont’s need for energy and capacity; its RECs could also help meet Vermont’s renewable energy requirements, which continue to grow until 2032 under Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard.
This update corrects that the Loring, Maine, facility is 100MW.