by Shane Henson — January 9, 2012—Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo), a utilities company serving approximately 200,000 customers in 59 communities throughout western Massachusetts, recently announced the completion of its second large-scale solar energy facility. The facility is located in the Indian Orchard section of Springfield, Massachusetts and now features 8,200 solar panels and produces 2.3 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
WMECo officials joined local and state officials in celebrating the transformation of the former foundry site into a clean, renewable energy facility. The Indian Orchard facility joins WMECo’s Silver Lake Solar facility in Pittsfield as one of the largest in the northeast region, and is reportedly the largest in New England.
According to WMECo representatives, the project brought nearly $12 million of new construction to the region and will contribute $400,000 of annual property tax revenue to the City of Springfield. Springfield is one of the two Gateway Communities in WMECo’s service territory and is home to approximately 65,000 WMECo customers.
