CLAREMONT — The city is moving closer to finalizing an agreement with North Light Energy for a 10-megawatt solar array on vacant industrial property in the southwestern area of the city near the railroad tracks.
At last week’s City Council meeting, Planning and Development Director Nancy Merrill updated the councilors on some of the agreement specifics and said she expects to return to the council in October with finalized document.
The city’s approval is needed because two of the four parcels where the array will be located are on city property. The Claremont Development Authority owns the third parcel and the fourth is in private hands, Merrill said. There are a total of about 200 acres and North Light will decide which part of the entire parcel is best suited for the array.
Among the provisions being negotiated is a $1,000-an-acre fee over 20 years with an escalator that would be paid to the various property owners. After the 20 years, there would be five year options.
Additionally, the company would make a one-time payment of $175,000 and still to be negotiated is a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes), Merrill said.
The array would not disturb any wetlands and would be constructed to allow wildlife to pass through the area. Once the council approves the agreement, North Light Solar would need to obtain site plan approval from the Claremont Planning Board.
Earlier this year, the council gave the Falmouth, Maine, company access to the city-owned lots to conduct wetland surveys.
The city parcels total about 123 acres. One lot, of 42 acres, is behind the former Wheelabrator incinerator, and the second one of 80 acres is to the north and abuts Moody Park. The private parcel is 42 acres and the CDA lot is 67 acres. All four parcels are connected and sit east of the railroad tracks.
North Light President Aaron Svedlow told the council in April the investment will be between $12 million and $18 million. Construction is not scheduled to start until the spring of 2022. He said the company has a contract with Eversource.
Merrill also said this week the city is negotiating a power purchase agreement with North Solar for about three to four megawatts.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
