Solar facility is planned for Pittsfield

Globe Staff

Western Massachusetts Electric Co. today identified the first site for one of several  large-scale solar energy facilities it plans to develop.

The first site is an eight-acre parcel in Pittsfield, the company said.

When the Pittsfield facility goes online later this year, it is expected to accommodate up to 1.8 megawatts of solar capacity, said the company, which refers to itself as WMECo. According to an industry rule of thumb, that would be enough to power roughly 1,800 homes.

"Today’s announcement provides tangible evidence that large-scale solar is becoming a reality in the Commonwealth,” Western Massachusetts Electric president Peter Clarke said in a statement.

"Solar energy facilities like these will provide the platform necessary to demonstrate that solar can play a viable role in meeting the renewable energy needs of the commonwealth while contributing to the economic development of the region," Clarke added.

Massachusetts has a goal to install 250 megawatts of solar by 2017, the company's press release noted; roughly 10 megawatts of solar generation is currently on-line in the commonwealth.

Western Massachusetts Electric Co., part of the Northeast Utilities System, serves more than 200,000 customers in 59 communities throughout Western Massachusetts.

(The photo that appears with this post was provided by Western Massachusetts Electric. It shows where the Pittsfield solar facility will be located.)