NEW HAVEN — The application for what has become a controversial 150-kilowatt community solar array in New Haven was withdrawn on Dec. 19. Waterbury solar firm SunCommon withdrew the application with the Public Service Board citing community concerns.
The proposal would have occupied about one acre on the west side of Route 7 near the Waltham town line. The company noted opposition to the project in its decision to end its bid, and issued the following statement:
“There are a lot of challenges to siting these projects. It’s not easy. From permitting to aesthetics, the hurdles are tough and in the end not every site is a great fit for a community solar array. We want to do right by our land owners and the community, so in keeping with our commitment to our Good Neighbor Agreement, we chose to withdraw this application and instead focus our efforts on other projects.”
SunCommon told the Independent in October that it plans to site eight 150-kilowatt arrays in Addison County. That same month it completed one such array on Route 7 in Waltham, just a few hundred feet from the site of the withdrawn application.