PLAINFIELD — A Lowell company is proposing to take root in town by developing a 23-acre solar electric and battery storage farm at 66 North Union St. — and residents will be able to chime in on Thursday during a public hearing about what they think of the project.
New Leaf Energy submitted its application for a special permit to the Planning Board on July 30. The project calls for using about 23 acres of a 67-acre site owned by Robert Pytco.
“Clearing of natural vegetation shall be limited to what is necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance” of the clean energy facility, the application states.
The system would generate an estimated 12,900 megawatt hours of electricity, which is enough to power 1,800 homes, said Eric Weinstein, project developer with New Leaf Energy. While the town of Plainfield won’t specifically benefit from the energy produced, “an electron is an electron,” he said, and will bolster energy resources.
Weinstein said that over the next 20 years, the system would provide a net-grid emissions savings of approximately 116,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. He said the site is well suited since there are existing electrical utility lines, and the proposed array would not impact any critical habitats, making the project “low impact.”
“It’s a benefit for everyone to keep energy prices low,” he said, adding that the development would also add to the town’s tax base.
Pytco has owned the land for generations. “He is very excited about utilizing his land in this way,” said Weinstein.
In addition to a residential home on the 67 acres, there are also two wetlands, which New Leaf’s application says won’t be disturbed.
There would be no continuous or permanent lighting, and since the farm would be “unmanned” the proposal says there would be no increases to traffic in town.
The solar farm would be enclosed on the property with a 7-foot fence, and inside the fence would be a central inverter, transformer, data acquisition system, weather station and telecommunications devices.
New Leaf Energy has developed more than 300 solar farms. In addition to its Lowell headquarters, the company has offices in Boston, Chicago, Troy and Oakland, and has been in the business of solar for more than 20 years.
Weinstein said that programs in the Bay State, including the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, or SMART program, which continues to incentivize solar buildout across the state, has given Massachusetts an edge when companies like New Leaf decide where to develop solar arrays.
Potential disagreements
While Weinstein considers the project to be “low impact,” not everyone is as optimistic, according to comments on a Facebook post advertising the Thursday’s forum.
One comment highlighted the potential of solar arrays being a fire hazard, although reports of solar array fires are inconsistent and inconclusive. Other comments said they’d be in favor of seeing development on top of parking garages rather than leveling 23 acres of forested space.
But there were also comments in support of the development, saying that solar is important for a future fueled with clean energy.
Thursday’s public forum will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Town Hall, located at 348 Main St.