12 Massachusetts solar projects awarded funding

8th February 2010

As part of the US Massachusetts solar stimulus programme, the Patrick-Murray Administration has awarded federal stimulus-funded contracts to install 4.1MW of solar energy at 12 public water and wastewater treatment facilities throughout the Commonwealth.

The 12 contracts represent the state’s largest ever award for solar installation at public facilities. Worth approximately $20m in ARRA funding, the projects are expected to be completed between June 2010 and July 2011 and include municipal and regional facilities in Ashland, Hyannis, Chelmsford, Easton, Fairhaven, Falmouth, Holden, Marlborough, Blackstone, East Freetown, Pittsfield and Townsend.

US renewable energy project developer Nexamp and its partner, electrical consulting company Florence Electric of Taunton, won the contracts through a competitive solicitation by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER).

‘Over the past three years, we have built a vibrant solar industry in Massachusetts, quadrupling the number of companies and more than doubling the number of jobs in the solar energy sector,’ US Governor Deval Patrick said. ‘The projects we’re announcing today continue that success - putting federal stimulus dollars to work, installing solar panels that will produce clean, renewable power for municipalities within a few short months.’

Once complete, the solar projects will enable the 12 water and wastewater facilities to save nearly $650,000 per year by cutting conventional energy use by approximately 4.5 million KWh annually. The 12 projects are funded out of $185m in federal stimulus dollars awarded to Massachusetts by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finance 127 water and wastewater infrastructure projects through the State Revolving Fund (SRF) administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

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