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MILLBURY, Mass. — The town of Millbury should save about $106,000 a year in utility bills under a 20-year Utility Credit Purchase Agreement approved Tuesday by the Board of Selectmen.
Millbury Finance Director Brian Turbitt gave a brief presentation on the agreement, outlining the details of the solar array to be installed at McGrath Farms.
Over the 20 years, Millbury will save about $2.1 million in electricity costs. Other towns will enter into a 70 percent to 30 percent split with the developer. Millbury has negotiated a 67.5 percent to 32.5 percent split with the solar developer, which should increase long-term savings, Turbitt said.
The solar developers will charge the utility companies about 13.99 cents per kilowatt hour, of which Millbury will receive 4 cents. Selectmen authorized the chairman of the Solar Committee to sign the agreement, although some of the details were still being worked out.
This Utility Credit Purchase Agreement is separate from the pilot agreement with the town's Energy Advisory Committee. That agreement will pay the town about $12,167 per megawatt generated at the solar array, an additional savings for the town.
The McGrath Farm array can generate a maximum of 7.2 megawatts of power, but in its current configuration should produce about 3.7 megawatts of power.
In other business, Town Manager Bob Spain said the towns of Millbury, Sutton and Northbridge are entering into an agreement to bid out for an animal control officer. That should take effect July 1.
Comments (1)
Excellent, good news for both Millbury and the environment.