Six months after work began, Western Massachusetts Electric Co. — a subsidiary of Hartford’s Northeast Utilities — has completed its $12 million, 2.2-megawatt solar facility in Springfield.
WMECo and NU officials, along with state and local officials, were on hand Wednesday to celebrate the transformation of the former foundry site into a clean, renewable energy facility.
The Indian Orchard facility joins WMECo’s 1.8-megawatt Silver Lake Solar facility in Pittsfield as one of the largest in the Northeast region and is the largest in New England. Â
WMECo says its 8,200-panel Indian Orchard solar facility will contribute $400,000 in property tax annually to the Massachusetts city.
WMECo officially chose the 12-acre Springfield site in January and began construction in mid-May.
Massachusetts has a goal of installing 250 megawatts of solar electric generation by 2017. WMECo was the first company to receive approval for a Massachusetts solar facility, and has received approval to build six megawatts of solar by 2012.
WMECo serves 200,000 customers in 59 Massachusetts communities. It is one of four energy subsidiaries of NU, whose other energy units include Connecticut Light & Power and Connecticut natural gas supplier Yankee Gas.
