$20M Going Toward Supporting Two Solar Projects in Maine

WASHINGTON — About $20 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding is headed to Maine where it will support the development of two large-scale solar energy projects.

Both projects are being undertaken in the state’s 1st Congressional District, in southeastern coastal Maine, and together they are expected to produce more than 16,000,000 kilowatt hours of electricity in their first full year of operation.

Roughly $9.99 million is being allocated to a 6.9 MW project in Gorham, Maine.

The project, known as Gorham ME1 LLL, has interconnection and net energy billing agreements in place with Central Maine Power Company. 

It is expected to produce 9,140,000 kWh of electricity in the first full year of operation and create three jobs at an average of $30/hour.

The second project, located in rural South Berwick, Maine, will receive $9.93 million.

This 4.98 MW project, Knight’s Pond Solar LLC, also has interconnection and net energy billing agreements in place with Central Maine Power Company and is expected to produce 7,053,032 kWh of electricity in the first full year of operation while also creating three jobs at an average of $30/hour.

“As someone who has pushed for climate action for decades — in my community, in our state Legislature and in Congress — I am incredibly gratified to have voted for the most aggressive climate investment in in U.S. history and to have secured new funding to support our farmers and rural small businesses battling extreme weather challenges and high energy costs in that package,” said Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, in a written statement.

“These two solar projects will jumpstart clean energy in my district and lower energy costs in rural Maine,” Pingree said.

The funding is being awarded through the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program.

REAP helps farmers, agricultural producers and entrepreneurs purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. 

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue