National Grid has received approval from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to start construction of five megawatts of solar generation on five company-owned sites in Massachusetts.

Under the Green Communities Act, electric utilities are allowed to construct, own and operate up to 50 megawatts of solar generation. National Grid submitted its formal request to develop five megawatts of solar generation in Massachusetts to the DPU in April 2009.

“We are thrilled to have the green light from the DPU so we can get started on full implementation of our solar program. We look forward to breaking ground in the coming months on our five solar locations,” said Tom King, president of National Grid in the U.S. “The start of our program helps us take a step closer to a greener future where we use cleaner electric power and mitigate the effects of global climate change. Locally, the communities where our projects are located are excited and ready for us to start building as we contribute to the creation of green jobs, deliver customer benefits under this program, help advance solar energy and diversify the Commonwealth’s renewable energy portfolio.”

When implemented, the installations will generate the equivalent of powering approximately 1,000 homes for one year and will eliminate over 3000 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

National Grid’s solar development program includes building and owning solar installations across the state at the following National Grid-owned locations:

• Victory Road in Dorchester (1.3 MW)
• Rover Street in Everett (0.6 MW)
• Hilldale Avenue in Haverhill (1 MW)
• Railroad Street in Revere (0.7 MW)
• Sutton/Northbridge line at National Grid’s Distribution Center (1.2 MW)

Future components of National Grid’s plans are expected to include:

• Installing solar facilities on state, municipal, school and commercial properties in the National Grid service area, specifically targeting schools and communities that are already involved with the company’s energy-efficiency programs.
• Customer-owned solar installations that will make available to customers enhanced residential education and financing for the installations.

The five projects are in varying stages of development. Site work at two of the locations is scheduled to begin this fall. The company plans to complete the requests for proposals and the awarding of contracts for installation at other locations by the end of the year.

Four of the five sites in the company’s plan are former brownfield locations and were selected because they have sufficient space and provide a nearby source of electricity to help reduce electricity demand on the distribution networks in these areas.

National Grid estimates that designing and building the five new solar sites will cost approximately $31 million. The company anticipates these solar installations would cost its Massachusetts customers approximately six cents per month averaged over the life of the project.

Proceeds from the energy sales, renewable energy certificates, or any environmental attributes that may be obtainable in the future will be credited to customers and offset the full cost of the solar installations.

National Grid has more than 20 years of experience in the solar industry, beginning with the first large scale photovoltaic installation on 30 homes during the late 1980s in Gardner, Mass. and a 100 kilowatt installation at Beverly High School, Beverly, Mass. In recent years, the company has connected approximately five MW of distributed solar generation on the New England electricity system.

As part of its overall efforts to protect the environment, mitigate the effects of climate change and help customers manage their energy needs, National Grid has announced plans to implement a smart grid pilot in Worcester, Mass. and recently expanded its award-winning energy-efficiency programs. The company’s energy-efficiency programs help customers reduce energy use and save on their monthly bills.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.