MWhs
kW DC
Blandford Solar Project
Utility WMECO
Incentive Program MA SMART Program
Sustainable Energy Generation in Western Massachusetts
The Blandford Solar Project is a 7.4 MW (DC) utility-scale solar PV generation facility located in Blandford, Massachusetts. The generation facility interconnects to Western Massachusetts Electric Company, providing enough electricity to power more than 3,000 homes.
The Economic and Community Benefits of the MA SMART Solar Project
The Blandford project is the largest MA SMART solar project Western Massachusetts Electric Company’s territory and was one of the first to receive a SMART Program 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The SMART Program is a long-term sustainable solar incentive program sponsored by Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil. SMART will encourage the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology by supporting 1,600 MW of new solar generating capacity. The economic benefits of this project include:
- PPA for 20 years provides long-term revenue certainty
- The 1.6 GW of solar from the program is expected to allow solar to meet 10% of Massachusetts’ electric demand, and it is estimated that ratepayers will end up saving $4.7 billion due to this program
- Participation in a program that incentivizes clean energy storage as well as generation
- Production of sustainable energy for low to moderate-income communities in Western MA
Sustainable Power, A Sustainable Environment
The Blandford solar project’s 7,200 kW capacity not only reduces energy costs for the Western Massachusetts Electric company and the residents of MA, but it also helps both the utility and the Commonwealth meet their sustainability goals. The 9,534 MWh of solar power generated by the project is the equivalent of:
- The CO2 emissions of 7,762,291 pounds of burned coal
- The greenhouse gas emission of a passenger vehicle driven 17,390,600 miles
- The carbon sequestered by 8,357 acres of US forests in one year