Clearway Energy Group has completed Partridgeville and Wilmarth community solar projects paired with energy storage in Massachusetts.
The projects will boost grid reliability and climate resiliency in the Commonwealth while also contributing to the state’s energy storage target of 1,000 MWh by the end of 2025.
The Partridgeville has 3.3 MW solar capacity paired with 4.0 MWh energy storage provided by IHI, located in Athol, while Wilmarth is 5 MW solar paired with 4.6 MWh energy storage provided by NEC ES, located in Plainville.
“As storage continues to play a growing role in the renewable energy industry, we are thrilled to bring online Clearway’s first solar plus storage assets in Massachusetts. We thank Governor Baker’s administration and the Department of Energy Resources for making solar plus storage a policy priority and the towns of Athol and Plainville for the opportunity to work together to bring these projects to fruition. We’re proud to be a part of the Bay State’s path toward clean, local energy and creating economic opportunity right in the communities where we operate.”
Craig Cornelius, CEO of Clearway Energy Group.
Under Massachusetts’ SMART program, solar paired with storage provides power quality support, allows for rapid ramping to reduce the intermittency of solar, allows for energy generation to be shifted to reduce peak demand, and reduces strain on the distribution system during times of low load and high solar generation. Partridgeville, Wilmarth, and Clearway’s forthcoming community solar and storage projects in Massachusetts were designed and constructed to achieve those requirements.