SOMERSET — The companies that won the bid to put a solar farm on town-owned property off of Wilbur Avenue have changed their proposal to use less land but would generate more power, which will result in more money to the town than had been originally discussed.
The original proposal from Borrego Solar and NextEra Energy Resources would have generated four megawatts of power by installing solar panels on 27.7 acres of the property while the new proposal will generate six megawatts of power on 23.8 acres of the property.
Town Administrator Dennis Luttrell said the town could be compensated from the companies by a combination of buying electricity at a reduced rate, a lease they will have to pay for the property and taxes on personal property, which would be the equipment used on the land.
Over 20 years, Mr. Luttrell said the town could realize $16,390,091 from the solar farm, while over 25 years, the town could realize $19,814,844. Under the previous proposal, the town would have realized $9.1 million over 20 years.
"This is all subject to negotiations," Mr. Luttrell said. "It means a lot to the town when we don't have as much revenue these days. Every dollar we make from this is a dollar we don't have to charge the taxpayers or take from the budget."
He said the companies are requesting a payment-in-lieu of tax agreement that town meeting voters would have to approve.
The original proposal would have used five lots on the town-owned land, but some wetlands presented a problem with the layout of the solar farm, so the companies have proposed using a different part of the town-owned property. The parcel of land that the town owns off of Wilbur Avenue has 98 acres. It was formerly owned by New England Power and after the town bought it, it was leased out for farming. The design for the solar panels has been shifted west on the property.
Mr. Luttrell said the new layout of the solar farm would have to be approved by town meeting voters.
"Hopefully, the town meeting will see the wisdom of doing this," Mr. Luttrell said.
The new proposal would have more solar collectors on the property. The original design had the solar panels being closer to Wilbur Avenue and to the Somerset Ridge Center nursing home and Alzheimer's unit.
"This takes it farther away from populated areas," Mr. Luttrell said of the proposed new design for the solar farm.
Mr. Luttrell said there will be a buffer zone to the solar farm along Brayton Avenue and said there may be two houses that could see the solar panels. But he said a town bylaw requires plantings to screen the solar panels from the houses.
Mr. Luttrell said the new solar farm plan requires cutting more trees down on the town property. The selectmen last Wednesday tabled their decision on the solar farm proposal.
Source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140316/PUB05/403120339
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