The town of Harpswell plans to solicit expressions of interest from other area solar developers before deciding whether to move forward with a ReVision Energy proposal to build a solar farm at George J. Mitchell Field.
The Harpswell Select Board voted at its meeting on Thursday, June 27, to direct town staff to ask two local committees – Mitchell Field and Energy and Technology – what information should be included in the town’s solicitation letter.
“It would also be helpful if the committee(s) identified specific companies that would receive the (letter),” Select Board member Jane Covey said in a written motion. Covey was unable to attend the special board meeting in person.
ReVision, based in South Portland, submitted a proposal to Harpswell in May for a 5-acre, 1.25-megawatt solar array at Mitchell Field that would offset more than 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the energy use of 219 homes, or more than 2.7 million vehicle miles. It would produce more than 55 gigawatt-hours of electricity over a 40-year period, according to the company.
To lease the town-owned site, ReVision has offered to pay $7,500 up front plus at least $8,000 a year for the first year, with a 2% increase each year thereafter. At that rate, the town would receive a total of roughly $407,500 if the farm operated for 35 years, or almost $264,000 if it operated for 25 years.
The company has said it may offer a higher initial lease payment – perhaps exceeding $10,000 annually – if other expenses related to the project remain low, such as utility interconnection costs.
In a memo to the Select Board, Covey noted that the idea of soliciting expressions of interest from competing solar firms had been raised at a previous board meeting. The two board members present at the June 27 meeting, David Chipman and Chair Kevin Johnson, agreed with that approach.
“I absolutely think we should go forward with (it) to see whatever interest there might be,” Chipman said during the meeting. “Jane’s suggestion … is a good one. There’s nothing wrong with doing that, without making any commitments to anyone.”
Town Administrator Kristi Eiane said the town used a similar approach to gauge cellular providers’ interest before building a 200-foot-tall communications tower at Mitchell Field in 2021. AT&T installed transceiver equipment on the tower in 2022, and Verizon plans to add its own equipment by the end of this year after initially saying it wouldn’t use the site.
Mitchell Field encompasses 120 acres with a half-mile of waterfront. The federal government transferred the former U.S. Navy fuel depot to the town in 2001. It is known as a brownfield site, meaning prior soil contamination limits its potential uses.
A 2019 update to the Mitchell Field Master Plan mentions the possibility of a solar array on the property. According to the plan, the Select Board charged the Energy and Technology Committee “with finding a suitable site on town-owned land for installation of a solar array to provide for the electrical needs of all Town buildings.”
At the time, both the Energy and Technology and Mitchell Field committees backed a site at Mitchell Field. But in 2021, the town instead opted to buy credits from a community solar farm in another community.
In her memo to the board, Covey said the expression of interest letter for the proposed solar farm should be sent to potential bidders by mid-July, with a response deadline of mid-August.
Depending on the response, Covey said she would like the Select Board to consider a referendum article asking residents in November for the authority to issue a formal request for proposals and enter into a long-term lease with the winning bidder.
“I feel strongly that this opportunity should be considered by Harpswell voters so that the question of (Mitchell Field) as a site of solar power generation, within certain parameters, can be acted upon,” Covey’s memo states. “If the answer is no, then the discussion is closed. If yes, we can take the next steps.”
