Renewable energy company First Wind celebrated the end of construction of the Warren Solar project and announced that commercial operations have begun.
The 14 MW AC Worcester County-based project joins First Wind’s 3 MW AC Millbury, Massachusetts solar power project in commercial operations.
Located at three sites in the town of Warren, Massachusetts, construction began in the fall of 2013 after a long-term power purchase agreement was finalized with the University of Massachusetts (UMass).
As part of the PPA, the UMass Lowell campus and UMass Medical School in Worcester will receive a portion of the financial benefit resulting from the Warren projects. UMass Lowell and UMass Medical School are expected to avoid an estimated $410,000 and $670,000 in utility costs per annum, respectively over the course of the 30-year agreement.
Borrego Solar Systems Inc. led construction of both the Warren and Millbury the projects, which created roughly 85 construction-related jobs. Both projects represent an investment in the surrounding communities and local economies, along with millions of dollars in construction, materials and development costs.
The Warren and Millbury projects are the first solar projects that are part of the First Wind Solar Group, which was formed to explore potential development opportunities across the company’s current footprint in the Northeast, the West and Hawaii. In addition, First Wind Solar Group is also developing a 20 MW AC solar power project in Mililani, Hawaii, as well as 340 MW AC across multiple project sites in Utah through PPAs with Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp.
