SANFORD – With the land now cleared, NextEra Energy Resources is looking to mobilize construction crews for the 50 megawatt solar array at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport later this year.
NextEra project manager Liz Peyton told the Sanford City Council on Tuesday that the site will be prepared this fall, a fence will be installed and other, associated work completed. She said construction may have to break during the winter, and that most components – the 150,000-plus solar panels – will be installed in the spring, with a view to connection to the grid in October, and going online the following month. The project is expected to create 100 construction jobs.
The city will realize revenues from land leases and property and other taxes.
On Tuesday, the Sanford City Council unanimously approved a Tax Increment Financing plan that will allow the city to shelter tax revenue from the property and use the funds to help support a number of airport projects and more. City Manager Steve Buck pointed out that if the project went ahead without a TIF, the city would lose about 50 cents for every revenue dollar realized, because of decreases in education subsidy and revenue sharing and increased county taxes that would ensue.
Under terms of the TIF agreement, the city would retain $500,000 a year in property taxes, or $10 million over 20 years.
Proceeds from the TIF are expected to fund bond debt at a snow removal facility at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport; a portion of debt service for future fire stations; the economic development program; and infrastructure at the airport including water, sewer broadband and electricity within the TIF district.
The next step in the TIF process is approval from the state Department of Economic and Community Development, likely to be taken up by that agency in September.
The city is also expected to separately realize $200,000 annually in airport land lease revenues and a maintenance contract for plowing and mowing, for a total of $4 million over 20 years.
In all, the Sanford Airport Solar LLC project will entail the use of 250 acres of city-owned property at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport and some private parcels. The TIF program includes a total of 333 acres, which includes 80 acres pegged for future private development.
Sanford Regional Economic Growth Council Director Jim Nimon said when talk first began about a solar array at the airport in 2015, the city was charting new waters.
“There was no clear path laid out for this project,” Nimon said. He applauded the work of Airport Manager M. Allison Rogers, City Manager Steve Buck and several others.
When completed, the project will be the largest solar array on an airport, anywhere. It is expected to be assessed by the city at more than $50 million.
“More than any other project, this is a result of a true partnership with multiple stakeholders,” said Peyton. “From the beginning, there was no road map for this.”
Clearances were required from the Federal Aviation Administration and a number of federal and state agencies.
The energy produced, said Peyton, is already under contract. The project was chosen through a competitive bid in 2017, and is designed to provide power in parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
“We’re particularly excited about this project because it is the next step in solidifying (our position) in New England,” said Peyton..
Earlier in the process, NextEra had projected a start date of fall 2018, but state environmental permitting took longer than expected. The state permits were approved in January. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense approved the plan in late 2017. Sign-off by the Department of Defense was necessary, as the property was used by the U.S. Navy during World War II.
“I’m very proud of this project,” said Buck.
“Thank you for your commitment to Sanford,” Mayor Tom Cote told Peyton. He thanked city staff for their work on the project and the City Council for its ongoing support.
“I look forward to seeing first panels going up,” said Cote.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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