CT projects competitive in smaller energy RFP | REEBA | Renewable Energy and Efficiency Business Association, Inc.

Hartford Business Journal

November 28, 2016

Large proposed solar farms in Enfield and Wallingford are among 10 Connecticut clean-energy projects that could become a reality as soon as next year, following a state-run selection process.

Connecticut’s sole commercial wind farm, in Colebrook, could also gain a third turbine, according to details released Monday by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), which oversaw the request for proposals seeking projects between 2 and 20 megawatts in size.

In all, DEEP selected 24 solar and wind projects totaling 371.5 megawatts in generation capacity. Of that number, 10 projects totaling 137 megawatts of capacity would be located within Connecticut, DEEP said. That means in-state projects represented 37 percent of the total capacity selected.

In addition to the generation projects, DEEP also selected a 34-megawatt energy-efficiency bid submitted by Eversource.

No projects involving fuel cells were selected.

DEEP received approximately 100 bids in all and winners were notified Oct. 25. The agency released the results Monday, following a request from the Hartford Business Journal.

The generation projects selected will now negotiate energy-purchase contracts with utilities Eversource and Avangrid, which will be subject to approval by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.

Selected projects in Connecticut include:

In Enfield, Ranger Solar would construct a 19.99-megawatt solar installation;
In Wallingford, Australian company Lend Lease would construct a 19.99-megawatt solar installation;
In Plainfield, Ranger Solar would construct a 19.99-megawatt solar installation;
In Litchfield, Connecticut Energy Parks LLC would construct a 19.8-megawatt solar installation;
In Waterford, GRE GACRUX LLC, which is affiliated with Middletown’s Greenskies Renewable Energy, would construct a 17.73-megawatt solar installation;
In Stonington, Coronal Development Services would construct a 15-megawatt solar installation;
In North Stonington, Connecticut Energy Parks LLC would construct a 9.99-megawatt solar installation;
In Preston, SunEast Development LLC would construct a 6-megawatt solar installation;In North Haven, GRE GACRUX would construct a 4.98-megawatt solar installation;
In Colebrook, BNE Energy LLC would construct a 3.5-megawatt wind turbine.

Outside of Connecticut, wind and solar projects in Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York were also selected.

The RFP overlapped with another for larger projects, which was jointly run by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A total of 460 megawatts of capacity was selected in that RFP.