New England's Solar Industry Shines with $2 Billion in Projects

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--New England isn't known for its sunny skies, but the U.S. region has seen its solar-energy capacity increase by 3.8 gigawatts (GW) since 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Although more than half of that number is attributed to small-scale solar, which are systems with less than 1 megawatt (MW) of generating capacity that typically are not metered by a utility, the demand for utility-scale projects is growing across the region. Industrial Info is tracking more than $2 billion worth of active solar projects across New England.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing New England's active solar projects, by state.

Olivewood Energy LLC (New Haven, Connecticut), which focuses on solar and energy-storage projects in New York and New England, accounts for some of the heaviest solar investments in the region. These include the proposed Deer Meadow Solar Plant near Contoocook, New Hampshire, a 75-MW project that would be the largest in New Hampshire. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can read more in a detailed project report.

NextEra Energy Incorporated (NYSE:NEE) (Juno Beach, Florida) is adding to its nationwide slate of solar-energy projects with several proposed plants across New England, including the 50-MW Chariot Solar Farm in Hinsdale, New Hampshire; the 15-MW Davenport Solar Plant in Brandon, Vermont; and the 20-MW Black Hill Point Energy Storage Plant in Preston, Connecticut. The latter is among NextEra's projects to pair solar with battery energy-storage systems (BESS).

Subscribers can read detailed reports on the Chariot, Davenport and Black Hill Point projects, and learn more about NextEra's wide-ranging plans for solar in the July 25, 2022, article - NextEra's Sunny Outlook for Solar Drives Renewable Buildout.

Like other states in the region, Connecticut has been expanding tax credits and other incentives for residential and utility-based solar generation, with noticeable effects. Hedge fund firm D.E. Shaw Group's (New York, New York) $42 million Gravel Pit Solar Park in East Windsor, Connecticut, which began site preparation earlier this year, would be the largest in the U.S. Northeast if built as planned. The state of Connecticut already has purchased 20 MW of power from the Gravel Pit facility, while Rhode Island has purchased 50 MW, with the remainder to be sold to additional buyers, officials told the Hartford Courant. Subscribers can learn more from Industrial Info's project report.

Connecticut's solar projects under construction include a $25.5 million solar plant in North Stonington, which will use 61,000 ground-mounted solar panels to provide $9 million in savings for five Connecticut state colleges and universities in its first 20 years of operation, according to PV Magazine: Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Manchester Community College in Manchester, and Tunxis Community College in Farmington. Subscribers can learn more in Industrial Info's project report.

Like many states and companies, Massachusetts aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Its recently published "Clean Energy and Climate Plan" offered details on how the state can reach its interim goals for 2025 and 2030, which involve reducing emissions from a 1990 baseline by 33% and 50%, respectively. This includes a 53% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the state's power-generation system by 2025 and 70% by 2030, according to regional news station WBUR.

Solar projects under construction in Massachusetts include the City of Acton's solar and battery-storage system at a water treatment facility, which will provide the facility with 3 MW of solar energy and 2 MW of battery storage. Similarly, the Town of Nantucket is seeking permits for a 3.35-MW solar unit addition at the Wannacomet Water Company facility. Subscribers can learn more about these municipal projects by reading detailed reports on the Acton and Nantucket facilities.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in the article, and click here for a list of related plant profiles.

Subscribers can click here for a full list of solar-energy projects across New England.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the world's leading provider of market intelligence across the upstream, midstream and downstream energy markets and all other major industrial markets. IIR's Global Market Intelligence Platform (GMI) supports our end-users across their core businesses, and helps them connect trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated project opportunities. Follow IIR on: LinkedIn.