Solar project would be region’s largest

Canton is on track to host what would be the largest solar-power facility in New England, a project expected to save the town at least several hundred thousand dollars a year over the next quarter-century.

The project, which would be built and operated by Boston-based Southern Renewable Energy LLC on 15 acres of the town’s former landfill, is designed to generate 5.6 megawatts of solar energy, an amount greater than the total solar-power output of the entire state four years ago.

Canton Town Administrator William Friel said the total combined revenue and savings over the next 25 years could exceed $16 million, depending on energy prices during that period.

“The reason for doing this is that we wanted to become more entrepreneurial, understanding the difficult economic times that we’re in,” Friel said.

Southern Renewable Energy is working with NSTAR on establishing an “interconnection agreement,” which is required when electric power flows from a customer to the utility company, rather than the other way around. Frank McMahon, a principal with Southern Renewable Energy, expressed confidence that the agreement will be established within the next several months, as required by the Department of Public Utilities.

Southern Renewable Energy would pay Canton $150,000 for the first year of leasing the town-owned land, with that amount increasing by 3 percent annually over 25 years, McMahon said. Nearly all of the electricity generated by the project would be used by the town itself. Under the state’s “net metering” provision, the electricity that the town consumes will be priced below the normal retail rate, leading to significant savings.

Canton would also receive rebates from NSTAR for the energy it does not need, although the amount of electricity the town doesn’t use is likely to be modest, according to McMahon.