The ceremonial event marking the beginning of construction was held at the location of the old Somersworth Sanitary Landfill. Pictured from left to right: City of Somersworth Mayor Matt Gerding, Congressman Chris Pappas and Ameresco’s Senior Project Development Manager Ryan Fahey. Photo: Business Wire
Ameresco and the City of Somersworth celebrated the groundbreaking of a 2.58-MWDC solar installation at New Hampshire’s Somersworth Landfill. With attendance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the landmark event marked the commencement of the project, which will significantly boost the community’s sustainability efforts and repurpose City-owned land for renewable energy generation.
“This solar project is an important step towards increasing sustainability efforts in our Somersworth Community and aligns with other similar efforts in our region and in our state,” said Somersworth Mayor Matt Gerding . “It is important that we collectively welcome green energy as another element of our collective energy portfolio. On behalf of the City of Somersworth, I want to express our excitement for this long-awaited groundbreaking as it repurposes city-owned land that otherwise had very limited use.”
The energy produced by this project will be sold to the City of Somersworth under the state’s group net-metering program. The project will pay the city a lease and a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT). The project has already received the necessary permits and approvals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES), with construction expected to begin mid to late August.
“We’re proud to partner with the City of Somersworth on this innovative landfill solar project. This initiative demonstrates the potential of repurposing land for renewable energy and enhancing landfills to become more sustainable. We’re excited to begin construction and contribute to the city’s bright clean energy future,” said Jon Mancini, senior VP of Ameresco.
The onsite groundbreaking event was attended by Congressman Chris Pappas, Mayor Matt Gerding, representatives from the EPA, NH DES, City of Somersworth officials, and Ameresco executives, who all gathered to commemorate this significant step towards a more sustainable future for the city.
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