Massachusetts-based Reading Municipal Light Department is working with NextEra Energy Resources to bring two solar arrays to land adjacent to the Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant in Seabrook, New Hampshire.
RMLD executed a power purchase agreement in May 2022 and the permitting process for the project is underway.
The two solar arrays, Seabrook Solar 3 and Seabrook Solar 4, will have capacities of 4.5 megawatts (MWac) and 2.75 MWac respectively, and will have an expected annual output of 12,000 MW hours.
The Seabrook solar facility is expected to be operational in the summer of 2024 and generate approximately 2% of RMLD’s electricity load.
Seabrook Station is a 1,245-MW nuclear generating plant. The solar arrays will be built on approximately 28 acres adjacent to the plant.
The announcement is the latest example of RMLD’s transition toward non-carbon power generation in accordance with the Massachusetts 2021 Climate Bill, the Massachusetts public power utility said.
The bill established first-time compliance mandates for Municipal Light Plants, requiring that the power sold by MLPs be sourced from resources that are 50% non-carbon by 2030, 75% non-carbon by 2040 and net-zero carbon by 2050.
RMLD serves over 70,000 residents in the towns of Reading, North Reading, Wilmington, and Lynnfield Center. RMLD has over 30,000-meter connections within its service territory.
