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Maine is about to get its largest solar farm, a project designed to help the state in meeting its climate goals of getting 80 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, reported EcoWatch.

The project also is projected to avoid carbon dioxide emissions that are the equivalent of removing approximately 30,000 cars from the road each year.

Longroad Energy, a renewable energy developer based in Boston, Mass., announced that construction began earlier in November on the 152-megawatt Three Corners Solar project in Kennebec County. The company predicts the $200 million solar farm will produce enough electricity for about 30,000 homes annually and cut about 140,000 metric tons of carbon emissions over a 12-month period.

The agreement for EDF Energy Services to buy the power from Longroad and supply it to its New England customers is the largest corporate energy deal in the history of the region’s power grid.

“We are glad to reach this important milestone and grateful for the support of the [Kennebec County] towns of Benton and Clinton, and the residents of the area,” said Longroad Energy’s Chief Development Officer Matt Kearns, who lives in Scarborough, Maine, adding that $200 million projects “do not come along every day in Maine.”

The Bangor Daily News noted that the Three Corners Solar project is just one of several green energy projects in the state.

“This project will be an important resource for Maine to help meet its clean energy objectives and will deliver significant economic benefits to Kennebec County and the region,” Kearns explained.

With most of the construction set to occur next year, he told the Bangor news source the solar farm is planned to go online by early 2024. The project will stretch across the towns of Clinton and Benton, and the unincorporated Unity Township. “Large projects can get done in Maine, and we need to be able to do this work if we’re going to meet our climate goals,” Kearns continued. “It’s a massive investment in clean energy.” Solar Farm Nestled Within a Forest Partially chosen for its proximity to the electrical grid, the land for the massive solar project has been in the Bessey family — now owned by the family’s wood brokerage firm Bessey Development Co. — for more than five generations. Formerly used for commercial timber harvesting, some of the land also had been cultivated for corn by a tenant farmer.

The visibility of solar farms in the state has a history of being an annoyance to Maine residents, which has led Longroad, in part, to choose a site for the Three Corners Solar project in a forested area, hidden from public view.

Longroad plans to cut down 690 acres of trees to make way for the solar panels, and Kearns said the company also will be improving roads and other pathways to access the complex.

He added that Longroad was cautious about avoiding wetlands and worked to reduce its environmental impact on the site, but that some effects were inevitable due to the size of the project. Prior to the start of construction, two years of assessments were conducted by Maine-based environmental consulting companies, as well as with local Photo courtesy of Longroad Energy The Three Corners Solar project in Benton, Clinton university graduates, he told the Daily News. “We had to make sure we were avoiding and Unity Township in Kennebec County, Maine, vernal pools and other features to make sure began construction in November 2022. that the project minimizes any impact to wildlife,” Kearns explained. To comply with Maine’s conservation policies for the reduction of environmental effects, Longroad Energy has conserved 1,875 acres, which includes 1,020 acres in the Unity Wetlands Focus Area. The company said “high value wetlands, deer wintering areas, inland waterfowl wading bird habitat, and critical terrestrial habitat” will be protected through the conservation agreements, the Bangor news outlet reported. Just two years ago, Longroad built a 72.6megawatt wind energy project in Hancock County, Maine, and has plans for a 1,000megawatt wind project, as well as a roughly 100-megawatt solar project, in Aroostook County. 

Conn.’s Quinnipiac Eyes Building ‘University of the Future’

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plan to working with the planning and zoning commission.”

Throughout the nearly two-year process, there has been collaboration with students, administrators, faculty, the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, and the broader Hamden and North Haven communities, Quinnipiac Today reported.

Nancy Dudchik, president of the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce, was one of the community leaders who worked closely with the university since the project’s earliest planning stages.

“I was proud to have been a part of the process in support of Quinnipiac University,” she said Dec. 14. “Last night’s approval of the three new buildings that will create the South Quad is an exciting and necessary chapter for the university’s growth and competitiveness. It’s an important step in the university’s decision to have all [undergraduates] reside on campus as well as adding two new academic buildings.”

The two academic buildings and residence hall will support student learning and social development, while providing faculty with modern facilities for research, advanced pedagogy and immersive learning approaches that model future careers, the university said.

“Together, we are building the ‘University of the Future,’ recognizing the vision of the strategic plan, commissioned under the leadership of President Judy Olian,” Zemba added.

The Quinnipiac Board of Trustees first approved the project in January. Its construction will be funded through a combination of the university’s endowment, philanthropic efforts and debt financing.

South Quad Built for Modern Learning

Quinnipiac’s School of Business will feature an innovation hub to act as an incubator for building and testing ideas. In addition, it will house: • A financial technology center where students will use cutting-edge trading platforms, investment tools and data systems. • Offices for faculty members. • Flexible lecture and event spaces that can seat up to 150 people for any size gathering. • An environmentally conscious central energy plant for the business school.

“The South Quad project is a momentous investment in the future of education at Quinnipiac,” said Holly Raider, dean of the School of Business. “The future home of the School of Business will spark collaborative learning experiences, provide added space for academic and career advising for students, and will accelerate innovation in new areas of study.”

Quinnipiac’s new general academic building will feature wet and dry labs, space to expand the university’s computing programs, new classrooms, collaborative spaces for breakout and group study, and offices for deans and faculty. It also will house a modern auditorium to seat more than 700 people for both college and community events.

The South Quad’s residence hall will include single- and double-rooms, accommodate more residential students on campus, and enrich the living-learning experience, Quinnipiac Today noted. The air-conditioned building will offer extracurricular opportunities for students to gather, build a community, and advance their career readiness and emotional well-being through the design of proper spaces. The structure also will include lounges and an outdoor courtyard.

“Our new residence hall will bring the idea of a living-learning community to a new level,” predicted Tom Ellett, chief experience officer at Quinnipiac. “It offers new opportunities for our students to collaborate and grow with each other, as well as with faculty. In fact, the new residence hall includes an apartment for a new faculty-inresidence, [like] that at other leading institutions of higher learning.”

Structures to Benefit Their Environment

The university’s new South Quad — like its Recreation and Wellness Center — will be constructed with the environment in mind.

“Each of the three buildings has been designed to be LEED certified, promoting a healthy regional ecosystem that stimulates students, faculty, and staff to practice sustainable behaviors in their personal and professional lives,” explained Sal Filardi, Quinnipiac’s vice president of facilities and capital planning.

Virtually every detail has been planned to be of benefit to area habitats, including native species of plants, rain gardens and lights that prevent light pollution — something praised by area environmental organizations. A new water-filtration system also will ensure that any water leaving the area is clean. 