Mass. Solar Power Projects Bring Power, Jobs to State
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Western Massachusetts Electric Co.’s new 6,500 panel solar-powered electric facility will begin producing enough electricity for 300 homes later this month.
The plant and a larger project slated to go online in Springfield next year are expected to bolster job growth in the solar industry and bring the high cost of solar power in line with oil-produced electricity in New England.
The solar industry is on track to add 24,000 jobs nationwide in 2011, according to industry reports, a year-to-year increase of 26 percent.
Despite a reduction in solar energy rates by almost half in recent years, high costs still plague the industry. But some experts believe that solar power, which is immune to the price volatility so common with fossil fuels, will eventually reach rate parity with oil in the region and render it the preferred method of electricity production.
Solar power in Massachusetts received a boost in 2008 when Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation promoting the development of solar plants in the state. The Green Communities Act permits utilities to generate power from solar plants.
Western Massachusetts Electric is installing its solar panels on abandoned industrial and commercial sites such as former landfills, which is cheaper and less destructive to the environment than breaking ground on new sites. The Springfield plant is being constructed on a capped landfill.