TOPSHAM, ME
Topsham Meadow Solar Station is a 22.5 MWDC Solar PV project, located in Topsham, Maine.
The project is sited on secluded, privately owned land, connecting to an existing Central Maine Power (“CMP”) transmission line. The power will be sold to CMP at competitive rates and delivered to local ratepayers.
The project will use advanced technology to maximize the energy production; it will incorporate single-axis tracking racks that follow the sun’s transit through the day, and bifacial solar panels, which generate electricity from both sides. Both technologies help optimize energy generation.
The project is sited on three properties. Two properties are leased from local owners who have been residents of Topsham for many years. The third property will be purchased from the Cornerstone Baptist Church.
Topsham Meadow Solar Station is scheduled to begin construction in 2025. Once operational the project will generate emission free electricity for decades, offsetting an estimated 715,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over thirty years. In the first year of service, emissions avoided by Topsham Meadow Solar Station will equal the carbon sequestered by 48 square miles of forest.
LOCATION
1 Anderson Trail
Topsham, Maine
04086
Latitude: 43.965813
Longitude: -70.788932
Project updates
The US Army Corp of Engineers issued Topsham Meadow Solar Station a Maine General Permit Authorization Letter on 04/07/22.
PERMIT Issued
The Maine DEP issued Topsham Meadow Solar Station SLODA and NRPA permits on 02/10/22.
PERMIT Issued
The Topsham Planning Board issued Topsham Meadow Solar Station a Conditional Use Permit on 01/20/22.
PERMIT Issued
The Topsham Planning Board heard a pre-application presentation for Topsham Meadow Solar Station on 07/22/21.
PUBLIC MEETING
Topsham Meadow Solar Station submitted a pre-application for a Conditional Use Permit to the Topsham Planning Board on 06/29/21.
PERMIT APPLICATION
PERMIT APPLICATION
Topsham Meadow Solar Station applied for a Site Location of Development Act (SLODA) permit to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on 05/28/21.
PERMIT APPLICATION
Topsham Meadow Solar Station applied for a Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA) permit to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection on 05/28/21.
PUBLIC MEETING
Topsham Meadow Solar Station held a public meeting in accordance with Maine Department of Environmental Protection requirements on 04/21/21. The meeting was held via Zoom.
PPA EXECUTED
On 01/15/21 Central Maine Power filed the executed energy contract with Topsham Meadow Solar Station with the Maine Public Utility Commission.
PPA APPROVED
On 12/22/20 the Maine Public Utility Commission approved the energy contract between Topsham Meadow Solar Station and Central Maine Power. The contract will now be executed by the parties.
PPA SELECTION
Topsham Meadow Solar Station was selected by the Maine Public Utility Commission (“MPUC”) to enter into an energy contract with Central Maine Power on 09/22/20. The order was issued under the RPS Tranche 1 procurement managed by the MPUC.
community
Topsham Meadow Solar Station will be a model for positive community engagement. The project will preserve Topsham's recreational and natural resources while allowing the local generation of affordable and reliable clean energy.
Glenvale will establish a community benefits plan and contribute to local initiatives and causes. Do you have a suggested good cause that you think Glenvale can support? Please let us know.
We have partnered with longstanding local owners to lease the land on which the project will be built. The project will not be visible from public roads, nor will it require any new transmission line construction.
environment
The site is ideal for a modern renewable energy power plant, avoiding impact to critical natural resources. The project will not be visible from the public roads nearby. The project will improve the area’s natural resources by providing acres of cultivated habitat for pollinators. The project will also construct upgrades to the trail system used by Topsham Trailriders.
Topsham Meadow Solar Station is located on land currently managed for timber harvesting. No prime farmland will be used for the project; all logged trees are already planned for commercial harvest, and no new transmission lines will be constructed.
TopshamMeadow Solar Station will generate an estimated 35,753 megawatt hours of emission free energy in its first operating year; that’s enough to power 5,291 typical Maine homes. Over the first thirty-years of operation, the project will generate 1,012,634 megawatt hours of renewable energy, and avoid the emission of 717,957 tons of carbon dioxide. The energy generated by Topsham Meadow Solar Station will be delivered to the CMP transmission system using existing infrastructure, and used locally.
Economic impact
The project will be a critical source of employment and property taxes for Topsham. We expect to generate over one hundred construction jobs. Maine residents and Maine based business will be prioritized for contracting and employment opportunities.
The project will be a major tax-payer in Topsham. We expect to discuss a mutually beneficial agreement related to new taxes with Topsham staff and elected leadership.
Glenvale has established an Apprenticeship Program in partnership with a leading local Community Development Financing Institution (CDFI). The Apprenticeship Program will support new employment opportunities for up to fifteen transitioning workers. Program participants will be selected based on their promise, training needs, and their ability to benefit from a structured training program. Interested in participating? Let us know.