GELD Solar Farm Approved

Groton Electric Light Department [GELD] received Planning Board approval for a Special Permit for their proposed solar power array farm to be located off of Nutting Road and Sandy Pond Road. GELD will lease their land to a private contractor who will install and maintain the solar panels and the power generated from the farm will be sold back to GELD.

The Nate Nutting parcel was donated to GELD by Bob Lacombe and Dave Moulton in 2002, there being no cost to the ratepayers for the land, which borders on the north side by GELD's three-phase line located along an abandoned section of old Nate Nutting Road.  A high-tension easement bisects this property, making it an excellent location for a solar farm. 

The decision whether or not to build the solar array was complicated by the availability of inexpensive natural gas in the United States. But, over the past several years there have been political mandates to increase the percentage of carbon-free power supplied by local utilities. When constructed, and operating at full capacity, the array would generate about six percent of Groton's peak power needs, increasing the already considerable percentage of carbon-free power provided by GELD.

One of the principal advantages of building a solar 'farm' is to reduce the cost of so-called 'peak power'. Peak power is power purchased when demand is the greatest, usually very hot humid weather during the summer. Such a solar array would be able to provide more moderately priced and secure power, hopefully avoiding 'brownouts'.

The Special Permit also includes provisions for access by the Boy Scouts to a camping area on the site and access for the Fire Department.