Renewable energy developer Longroad Energy has financed and commenced construction of the Three Corners Solar project in Kennebec County, Maine. The approximately $200 million project has been in development for five years, and upon completion in late 2023 or early 2024, will be the largest solar project in Maine.
Credit: Longroad Energy
“We are glad to reach this important milestone and grateful for the support of the towns of Benton and Clinton, Kennebec County and the residents of the area,” said Matt Kearns, chief development officer of Longroad Energy and a Scarborough resident. “Two-hundred million dollar projects do not come along every day in Maine. The Mills administration has fostered an attractive environment for investment in renewable energy. This project will be an important resource for Maine to help meet its clean energy objectives and will deliver significant economic benefits to Kennebec County and the region.”
The total output from the project will be purchased by EDF Energy Services via a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). EDF Energy Services will use renewable energy generated by the project as the supply for its corporate customer load in New England. This PPA sets the record as the largest corporate PPA in the New England power grid signed to date. Three Corners Solar will also contribute to the reliability of the Maine and New England power grid by providing capacity to the ISO-NE system.
“This transaction demonstrates EDF Energy Services’ continued commitment to helping corporate customers meet their renewable power supply needs and sustainability initiatives,” said Deb Merril, president of retail at EDF Energy Services. “We are committed and proud to share our expertise and knowledge of the markets to help our customers navigate this environment and select an attractive renewables product that allows them to accomplish their goal.”
In addition to generating approximately $8 million in property taxes for host communities and Maine, Three Corners Solar has committed to several community contributions, including:
- $100,000 ($5,000 per year) to local scholarship programs and charitable organizations during the 20-year operating term of the project.
- $100,000 to Unity College to fund internships and research opportunities for faculty and students in renewable energy.
- $25,000 to Sebasticook Regional Land Trust to support conservation efforts.
The project has conserved approximately 1,875 acres of predominately forested lands, protecting high-value wetlands, deer wintering areas, inland waterfowl wading bird habitat and critical terrestrial habitat.
The project will use Series 6/6+ modules supplied by U.S.-based First Solar, single-axis tracker technology from Nextracker and inverters from Power Electronics. The project will be interconnected to the Central Maine Power system.
Longroad’s affiliate, Longroad Energy Services, is the asset manager and operator and will be providing remote monitoring services to the project over the long term from its Scarborough-based remote operations center.
News item from Longroad Energy
