Agilitas Energy developing 8.9-MW Massachusetts solar project on protected land

Agilitas Energy, an energy developer with a portfolio in the Northeast, has acquired an 8.9-MW solar + energy storage project in Rochester, Massachusetts on 38 acres of land. The project is currently under construction.

Agilitas is working in with Rochester’s Planning Board and the Conservation Committee to sustainably construct the solar project. The project is targeting commercial operations in Q1 of 2022 and will be able to power more than 1,800 Massachusetts homes. The energy storage component of the project will increase the total power output of the array and can provide peak-shaving capabilities to stabilize the grid’s power supply.

“This acquisition is the second in a series of substantial Massachusetts SMART program projects we are constructing over the next two years,” said Barrett Bilotta, president of Agilitas. “These SMART (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target) projects collectively represent 35 MW of solar and 17 MW of energy storage that will be constructed by our internal EPC group. We look forward to working with the Town of Rochester and other townships to build out our new Massachusetts SMART program portfolio.”

As part of the SMART Program, this project will also serve as a community solar facility. Community solar allows anyone to access clean solar energy, without having to install solar on-site and provides significant energy savings to subscribers of the facility.

The grocery chain Roche Brothers will be the anchor subscriber of the project, and many small-to-medium-sized local businesses will also take advantage of the cost-saving benefits brought by the project.

“It was an easy business decision to sign a long-term agreement for community solar power with Agilitas Energy. There was no investment or risk, and we’ll realize guaranteed savings on our electric bills,” said Mark Sullivan, CFO of Roche Brothers Supermarkets.

This project permanently protects 221 acres of forest and wetlands in Rochester. Agilitas Energy is working with the Buzzards Bay Coalition, which now owns the land, to implement a conservation management plan and maintain a conservation restriction on the parcel.

“This is an important property to protect for the overall health of the Buzzards Bay Watershed,” said Coalition President Mark Rasmussen. “It’s part of a large tract of wild and natural land that filters water flowing to both the Sippican and Weweantic rivers and then to the Bay and provides habitat for a diversity of wildlife. It’s an irreplaceable resource for the health of our region.”

The parcel is critical habitat for many species of plants and animals, including the eastern box turtle. To further protect critical habitats in Rochester, Agilitas Energy has made a contribution to the town’s arbor fund to invest in the planting of new trees.

Besides this project, Agilitas is currently constructing another SMART project in Auburn and is actively developing new solar and energy storage projects in Massachusetts and New York to bring cost benefits to the local townships, businesses and residents.

News item from Agilitas Energy

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Original Source: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/01/agilitas-energy-developing-massachusetts-solar-project-on-protected-land/