Solar Projected Killed By Concord Zoning Board

CONCORD, N.H. - The Concord Zoning Board this week denied a rehearing from developers of a 10-megawatt solar array in the crook of the Merrimack River on West Portsmouth Street. According to the Union Leader, NextEra Energy was denied a zoning variance based on the city’s calculation for “impervious area” a few months ago.

NextEra was asking the Zoning Board of Adjustment to consider whether the city’s definition of impervious surfaces should apply to solar panels because they do not prevent rainwater from reaching the ground and vegetation from growing under the panels.

The decision essentially kills the project, which would have rented land from Brochu Nursery and sold its power to Connecticut. It also sets a steep precedent for any prospective companies looking to bring a large-scale solar project in the residential open space district, which covers a large portion of the city’s land, according to city maps.

To read the full article, visit the Union Leader.

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