USDA announces $15.2 million investment in New Hampshire clean energy
Jan. 30 (Reuters) – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) directors of rural development in Maine and New Hampshire on Monday announced $15,217,000 in funding through the Electric Infrastructure Loan Program, including a solar array project in Londonderry.
The Electrical Program provides insured loans and loan guarantees to nonprofits, cooperatives, government agencies and other utilities. Insured loans primarily finance the construction of power distribution facilities in rural areas. The guaranteed loan program has been expanded and is now available to finance generation, transmission and distribution assets.
The loans and loan guarantees will fund the construction of power distribution, transmission and generation facilities, including system upgrades and replacements, necessary to provide and improve power supply in rural areas.
Aligned Solar Partners has built five solar plants across the two states to generate a total of 10,291 megawatts and reduce energy costs for rural communities in Androscoggin County, Maine, and Carroll, Merrimack and Hillsborough Counties in New Hampshire.
The energy generated will be enough to power an average of 1,800 homes annually, officials said.
In Maine, Aligned Solar Partners worked with ReVision Energy to construct a 14,040 panel array at Souther Farms in Livermore Falls.
In New Hampshire, Aligned Solar is working with utility Eversource to power the processing plant at Stonyfield Farm in Londonderry.
With solar arrays in Conway, Loudon and two in Nashua, the dairy company will benefit from a significant reduction in energy costs. The project is expected to produce 7,098,352 kilowatt hours of clean energy annually.
“Today’s funding reflects the agency’s proactive commitment to fighting climate change head-on,” said Sarah Waring, USDA state development director for New Hampshire. “With this investment, Stonyfield Farm will be able to create more jobs, more business opportunities and more resilience to future challenges – all while doing its part to reduce carbon emissions. Lower costs ensure the long-term viability of New Hampshire farms and agricultural producers, who are increasingly at the forefront of the clean energy transition. With projects like this, the USDA promises to empower tomorrow’s rural economies through innovation, imagination and collaboration for generations to come.”
“Aligned greatly values ​​our partnership with the USDA Rural Utilities Service,” said Peter Davidson, CEO of Aligned Climate Capital. “Together, we’ve brought affordable, clean energy to rural electric customers in northern New England.”
