First Wind, an independent U.S.-based renewable energy company, has announced the commercial operations of its Millbury Solar project in Massachusetts.
Located in Worcester County, Massachusetts, the 3 MW AC project is part of First Wind’s first solar development and first renewable energy project in its home state of Massachusetts.
First Wind is also currently completing a 14 MW (AC) solar project in nearby Warren, Massachusetts, which is projected to begin operations next month.
The Warren and Millbury projects are the first solar projects that are part of the First Wind Solar Group, which was formed to explore potential development opportunities across the company’s current footprint in the Northeast, the West and Hawaii.
Construction on both the Millbury and Warren projects began in the fall of 2013 after a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) was finalized with the University of Massachusetts (UMass).
As part of the PPA, the UMass Lowell campus and the UMass Medical School in Worcester will receive a majority of the financial incentives resulting from both the Millbury and Warren projects.
They are expected to avoid $1 million annually in energy costs over the course of the 30-year agreement. Competitive Energy Services, with an office in Topsfield, Massachusetts, advised UMass on the transaction.
Now that the Millbury Solar project has started operations, First Wind will make an annual tax payment of $50,000 to the town of Millbury, the company said.
In addition, located at three sites in the town of Warren, the company’s 14 MW (AC) project is scheduled to be operational in June, with Warren receiving $130,000 annually in tax payments from First Wind.
The towns of Millbury and Orange will also realize annual energy savings by receiving a smaller portion of the energy generated through net metering agreements.
Construction of the projects, led by Borrego Solar Systems, Inc., represented a significant investment in local Massachusetts economies.
Construction of the Millbury solar project created approximately 85 construction-related jobs, with the development, construction, and operation of the project serving as a noteworthy source of economic development by driving spending to local businesses.
First Wind is also currently developing a 20 MW (AC) solar project in Mililani, Hawaii and seven small utility-scale projects in Utah.
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