USDA announces $15.2 million investment in New Hampshire clean energy
Jan. 30—A solar array project at Stonyfield Farm's yogurt plant in Londonderry is receiving funding through the federal Electric Infrastructure Loan program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the funding as part of a $15.2 million award for projects in Maine and New Hampshire.
The electric program makes insured loans and loan guarantees to nonprofit and cooperative associations, public bodies and other utilities. Insured loans primarily finance the construction of electric distribution facilities in rural areas. The guaranteed loan program has been expanded and is now available to finance generation, transmission, and distribution facilities.
Aligned Solar Partners has built five solar arrays throughout the two states to generate a total of 10.291 megawatts, reducing the cost of energy for rural communities in Androscoggin County, Maine, and New Hampshire's Carroll, Merrimack and Hillsborough counties.
The energy produced will be enough to power an average of 1,800 homes annually, officials said.
In New Hampshire, Aligned Solar is teaming up with Eversource to power the Stonyfield Farm processing facility in Londonderry.
Through solar arrays in Conway, Loudon and two in Nashua, Stonyfield will benefit from a significant reduction in energy costs. The project is anticipated to produce early 7.1 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually.
