Solar project to power Middlebury College toward renewable energy goal

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (WCAX) - A big step toward complete renewable energy power in Middlebury-- a project to put 29,000 solar panels on 30 acres of Middlebury College’s land broke ground on Tuesday.

It’s part of an effort to have Middlebury College operate on 100% renewable energy by 2028.

Officials say it’s one of the biggest solar projects in the state. It’s a collaboration between Green Mountain Power, Encore Renewable Energy and Middlebury College.

Once constructed, the project will be responsible for 30% of the college’s electricity.

“It’s extremely cost-efficient renewable energy generation and as we move toward additional resources like this, I’d like to think this project could be a model for that going forward. We need hundreds of hundreds of more megawatts of renewable energy and we need to deliver it at cost-competitive pricing,” said Chad Farrell, the founder and CEO of Encore Renewable Energy.

The project will also have battery storage to save energy for when it’s needed more, which GMP says will lower costs for customers.

The goal is to have this online at the end of next year.

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