A partnership between the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) and the state Department of Energy Resources (DOER) will continue with a second round of funding for the Municipal Light Plant (MLP) Solar Rebate Program.
MMWEC assisted the Municipal Electric Association of Massachusetts in creating the MLP Solar Rebate Program. The program was originally launched in May of 2019. Through the program, DOER and participating MLPs offer rebates of $1.20 per watt (split evenly between the two) – up to 50 percent of the total project costs on solar installations of 25 kilowatts or less.
Individual MLPs also have the option to include additional project criteria.
As a part of the second round of funding, MMWEC has been awarded $372,200 from the DOER, which will be distributed to its participating MLPs to fund the rebate program.
During a successful phase one, the DOER awarded MMWEC $772,000 to allocate among its MLPs. In the first year, 93 solar installation project applications were approved in MMWEC Member MLP communities. Those projects are expected to generate more than 700 kilowatts of solar capacity for the Commonwealth.
MMWEC Member MLPs that are participating in the MLP Solar Rebate Program include utilities in Ashburnham, Boylston, Chicopee, Groton, Holden, Ipswich, Mansfield, Marblehead, Paxton, Peabody, Princeton, Shrewsbury, Sterling, South Hadley, Templeton, Wakefield, and West Boylston.
Once approved, eligible projects must be completed within one calendar year.
Interested customers first need approval from their participating MLP and once granted, can visit www.munihelps.org to fill out an application.
