
Charlie Baker visits Blandford, MA, site of new Community Solar Project
Governor Charlie Baker visited Blandford, MA earlier this month. Blandford is the site of an upcoming community solar project that will be available to residents and small businesses in Western Massachusetts. Community solar is a form of solar intended to share the environmental and financial benefits of solar power to the communities they’re sited near. The concept is similar to community shared agriculture by which local farms are supported. By joining a solar farm, participants get a share of the credits produce for them. Each month, they receive on-bill credits at a discount, thereby saving money and supporting local, clean power generation.
The state’s new SMART program opened more capacity for community solar projects, including the solar farm in Blandford. Before the new solar program, most of MA’s community solar projects were full with no room for new participants. Adjustments in the SMART program also added stability for solar pricing and included incentives for projects that offer community solar, include energy storage, and that make use of otherwise hard-to-use land, all of which contributes to MA’s continuing leadership on green energy.
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See how you can help Fight Climate Change locally by joining a Community Solar Farm.