Sheepscot Solar a ‘No Go’

the village of Sheepscot after hearing from residents at its Feb. 10 meeting.

“We know it’s a no go, and didn’t really think it was from the beginning,” Chairman Brian Foote said.

A handful of residents at the meeting expressed concern about the affect the project would have on the aesthetics of the neighborhood and village real estate values.

Others said the small-scale solar farm would inhibit future development of the project site, a town property known as the Harriet Gertrude Bird Playground.

The meeting follows a feasibility study by The Power Company, of Washington, Maine. The study proposes to install three photovoltaic modules in a field on the Bird property. The

project could generate enough electricity to power all municipal buildings.

Edna Verney lives in Sheepscot and sits on the Harriet Gertrude Bird Playground Committee.

“It won’t work in Sheepscot,” Verney said.

The committee would like to eventually expand the building at the site, the Harriet Gertrude Bird Clubhouse. The town would have to expand the septic system to accommodate the

work, and the system would have to go at the project site, Verney said.

Sheepscot resident David Spector said the project would force real estate prices down, which could eventually affect Newcastle’s property tax base.

“The town will lose money,” Spector said. “It will be a nightmare, and I’m totally against it.”

Newcastle resident Bill Weary expressed concern about the cost of the project. The Power Company report proposes a lease-to-purchase arrangement, which would have the town buy

the equipment in six years for $51,000, about half of the original cost.

The price of solar equipment has fallen rapidly in recent years, Weary said.

“I could well imagine that, within six years time, it would cost a quarter as much as it does right now to put a solar array in, and we would be stuck paying $50,000 for

equipment which, brand new, would cost $10,000,” he said.

The technology also continues to evolve. “I just can’t imagine those cells still being cutting edge for the town in another five years, much less 15 or 20 years,” Weary said.

Rich Simon, of Newcastle, owns The Power Company.

“There are tens of thousands of solar installations going up every year in this country,” Simon said.

The price of the equipment “has decreased significantly” in the last five years, Simon said.

“It’s definitely the most highly advanced equipment that’s available now,” he said.

Weary said he still views the project “as a gamble upon technology and pricing for a relatively small sum of money, $5000 a year.”

Weary also shares the aesthetic concerns of village residents.

“Sheepscot is one of the prettiest, most historic villages in the state and in New England, and to put up a farm of arrays raises questions for me,” he said.

Selectman Ben Frey said he expected the solar project to be an unpopular idea.

The response at the meeting means “we can probably just nip this in the bud and say, ‘We don’t want to do it there,’ and we’ll look at doing it other places in town,” Frey said.

The selectmen and Simon previously considered town properties on Jones Woods Road and Mills Road.

Both properties are former dumps and pose challenges in the way of environmental regulations. The Jones Woods Road site would require significant investment in electrical

infrastructure to connect a solar project to the grid.

“The only one that didn’t have significant obstacles was at the clubhouse,” Frey said.

The town plans to revisit the other properties, particularly the Jones Woods Road site.

The Sheepscot residents encouraged the town to do so.

“It would be optimum use of property that is never going to be used otherwise,” David O’Neal said.