FARMINGTON – A public hearing was held Monday night, giving residents the opportunity to hear an update from and ask questions of NextEra Energy Inc.- the company behind the proposed $110 million solar power project.
The project would be the biggest in the state, covering 490 acres, and would produce 77 megawatts of energy that would connect to the Central Maine Power substation on Route 2. The project would be owned and operated by Farmington Solar LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra. After overseeing an ongoing effort since 2015, project managers are hoping to kick off installation with the new year.
NextEra has held several public informational meetings to tackle the subject with locals, saying they want the project to be “the best neighbor possible.” NextEra has estimated that it would create 185 jobs over the 12 to 24 month construction period, followed by 8 to 10 long term jobs, ranging from mowing and plowing, to security and monitoring.
The project’s financial benefit to the town would depend on further consultations with the assessor. At a meeting in August, Town Manager Richard Davis said, speaking in approximate terms, a $100 million investment into the town would represent roughly $2 million in annual tax payments. The company has also touched on the possibility of future collaborations, such as possibly working with students from the Foster Career and Technical Education Center to offer trainings on alternative energy.
Resident Scott Cook, who lives near the Bailey Hill Road portion of the project, said at the public hearing that he is concerned about the increase in traffic on his road during construction. Although the solar panels will require very little maintenance once installed, construction would be expected to take a full year according to project managers.
Others voiced opposition to the project as well, questioning the company’s response to concerns raised at prior meetings. NextEra said they have doubled the amount of space between the border of the solar panel field and the closest home at Stanwood Circle- one of the areas of concern for locals- as well as added twice the amount of screening vegetation such as trees and shrubs.
The sites are divided into four sections: south of Route 2, which will include some panels as well as a temporary site to stage construction equipment; a collection of panels and associated equipment in pasture lands north of Route 2; another section in the wooded area further off Route 2; and a final section off the Horn Hill Road on the other side of Beales Brook. A line would span Beales Brook to tie in that fourth section, while the collection line from the bulk of the panels would go under Route 2. A horizontal directional drill would be utilized to avoid trenching the well-traveled road, according to project manager Liz Peyton.
Another Stanwood Circle resident, Annemarie Comeau, who lives in one of the closer homes to the solar site, said she is mainly concerned about the side effects from the electromagnetic field levels. Comeau said she has developed a sensitivity to EMF in the last several years, to the point where she requires a smart reader for her home and an EMF transmission system.
“It just seems like it’s already done. No matter what we say, it’s going to continue,” Comeau said.
I’m all for solar in our quest for more green energy. but man, that is a lot of farmland that will be out of commission.
That farm land will be out of commission anyway if the Yorks don’t find a way to utilize it after losing their milk market. It is clean energy.
I would feel a lot better about this if it weren’t connected to CMP. Seems like a green option until you realize that CMP will be cutting swaths of private land to send power directly to Massachusetts.
Built nuclear, enough power for the entire State, on a much smaller footprint. Then all we will have for a concern is the Atlantic Salmon.
Solar isn’t green energy. Look at how the panels and structures are built. They are about as green as windfarms. If you truly want green energy put hydro damns back online. Instead of including CMP in the deal why doesn’t Farmington use the field to power the town and get rid of the high electric costs of CMP.
All this power and Cmp can’t sell power in the state of Maine only transmit it. Time to push puc into letting Cmp to start selling in Maine again.
@Enough, It takes al ot of non-green concrete to build a dam.
Hopefully the tax revenue from this project will offset that which is lost from UMF
Chopping down a forest is a great way to be carbon negative
Maybe Farmington, and all of Franklin County could get their power from this solar field…if someone has 110,000,000 dollars to donate to build and operate the field.
Green power? Greener than coal, oil, natural gas…….respect the neighbors, make that green space to the lot lines wide, and as tall as can be, and get er done…
Nell…I didn’t realize those fertile soils could only grow milk. my bad.
Not Quite Enough…$110M over 20 years with 30,000 people in Franklin county. it’s not that far fetched of an idea when you consider what we pay for energy now.
I’ve been looking at homes in Farmington but will wait to see where these solar panels are going to be. I don’t want to be near them or look at them in the landscape. Farmington is such a lovely, charming town, why panels so close to town? The downtown business association has worked hard to maintain a vibrant, thriving village and the overall economy of Farmington, why ruin it?
@ old maineiac. I said back on line not build new there are many old hydro damns around that could be put back online with a little work. These panels are making the “oil” industry richer and people call it green like the hybrid cars.
Is there a reason why solar panels cannot be installed where the wind power sites are already built?
Seems the windmill folks nearly clear-cut the tops of ridges to install their equipment, couldn’t solar panels be planted around and between those windmills? Power distribution system would already be in place. Panels might work better as they’re closer to the sun. Farmlands would be saved by using land already ravaged by wind farms. Wind mills are already visible in the distance to most people, but solar panels should not be. No new disgruntled neighbors, or worries about electromagnetic fields.
Just wondering….
Bussie York is loosing his milk contract, he is being dropped. He will make so much more money renting his land to the solar industry, upwards of $600,000 a year, then he ever made milking cattle. I don’t want to see it, but can’t blame him. For all of you whom think we should buy that power for ourselves, look at the price per kilowatt that it’s sold for, then make a decision. Very expensive power.
Umm. No money to be made there. Most all the work is done and no one will be FILLING and LINING their pockets with money from the projects that don’t even help us here. Like they are with the CMP Corridor and the Solar farms.
C’mon people!! Next Era Energy and the land owners NEED this money!! Who cares about the environment or disrupting the Eco system!!$$$$$$
Billionaire bullies.
Don’t worry a lot about the farmer in our area they will watch out for themselves.Although I am not in favor of solar or wind power i do believe that anyone paying taxes on their own land should be able to do as they wish.it is a lot easier to rent land than to milk cows.
why is nobody talking about the obvious problems of solar power? that if we use up all the energy of the sun the sun won’t be around anymore! and if the sun explodes it will be a tremendous eyesore and we will lose lots of tourist dollars and my sun-front property will become worthless! scientists (fake news) are not 100% in agreement that fossil fuels are running out or even cause pollution, meanwhile, who knows how much longer the sun can make electricity? plus I heard solar energy can cause cancer. and what will we do at night? I’m just glad that this great country finally has a real president who can look the sun directly in the eyes and say, “not today, sparky!” making america grate with all of these new coal jobs!
Personally, I’d rather not rely on countries like Saudi Arabia, which is second only to North Korea as the most repressive regime on the planet – and one now in the headlines for killing a journalist. Perhaps solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear and other sources would be in the national interest.