Northampton solar landfill a ‘dream come true,’ says Ward 6 city councilor at ribbon-cutting

NORTHAMPTON — Ward 6 City Councilor Marianne LaBarge said she remembers when the city’s landfill shut down in 2013, ending a years-long effort by her constituents to block its expansion.

On Wednesday, as Mayor David Narkewicz cut the ribbon on a 15-acre, 3.17-megawatt solar array on the capped facility, LaBarge said the use represents all she could have hoped for.”

There’s no traffic, no smells, we’re making clean energy, and saving money,” she said. “We fought to close that landfill, and the Ward 6 Neighborhood Association recommended solar. This is like a dream come true.”

Narkewicz launched the solar facility Wednesday, joined by city officials and representatives from Ameresco, the Framingham company with a 20-year lease to own and operate the power-generating installation.

The 9,920 panels are expected to produce the equivalent of 45 percent of the power used by municipal buildings, said Narkewicz, saving $250,000 in city energy costs in year one, and $7.5 million over 20 years.”

In terms of the greenhouse gas impact, it’s the equivalent of taking 444 homes off the grid, or 634 vehicles off the road,” said Narkewicz.

Joel Lindsay, director of solar development for Ameresco, said the city will pay the company for the electricity, and earn net metering credits from National Grid. The credits can be applied to various city utility accounts. Ameresco will retain control of the facility’s solar renewable energy credits, entities which are traded within a dynamic market.