Vermont Public Power Supply Authority and Encore Renewable Energy recently announced a partnership to pursue the development of approximately 10 megawatts of solar capacity on behalf of VPPSA’s member public power utilities.
VPPSA provides power supply, financing, rate development, regulatory, and other support services to public power utilities throughout Vermont and New England.
Its membership includes: Barton Village Inc., Village of Enosburg Falls Electric Light Department, Hardwick Electric Light Department, Village of Hyde Park, Village of Jacksonville Electric Company, Village of Johnson Electric Department, Ludlow Electric Light Department, Lyndonville Electric Department, Morrisville Water and Light Department, Town of Northfield, Village of Orleans, and Swanton Village Electric Department.
Under the partnership, Encore, a clean energy development company based in Burlington, Vermont, will lead design, development, financing, and construction of solar projects in at least three of VPPSA’s member utility territories. VPPSA will assist identified host communities in managing the resulting generation to maximize its value.
The agreement also allows for Encore and VPPSA to partner in seeking additional development sites in other member service territories,
VPPSA’s members own and manage several small-scale hydroelectric facilities within their service territories as well as a 19% stake in the McNeil generating facility in Burlington, Vermont. They also hold contract rights to several other hydroelectric, solar, and landfill gas facilities throughout New England.
The proposed solar arrays will produce more than 13,000 MWh per year. The solar projects are expected be built at costs in line with the utilities’ existing cost of power, or about 60% of the cost the utilities would pay for solar under the state’s revised net metering program rules.
The projects will help VPPSA members meet their requirements under Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard and will assist the state in reaching its 90% renewable by 2050 goal, VPPSA and Encore said.
Encore Renewable Energy won a competitive solicitation to provide its services to VPPSA.
