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  In The News |
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In The News
Leominster looks at the sun for energy LEOMINSTER -- City councilors will meet with a solar energy expert Monday to discuss what it will take to bring a solar energy park to Leominster. Lori Ribeiro played a key role in creating the Brockton Brightfield, a 425-kilowatt solar energy system in Brockton that was completed in 2006. "I was hired as an independent contractor and worked with the mayor to spearhead the project," Ribeiro said Friday. The 3.7-acre park generates enough energy to power 71 homes and is used as an educational tool, Ribeiro said. "It's used for school field trips and visited by college groups," Ribeiro said. "A delegation from China has come to see it." The entire project took six years and before the recent passing of two pieces of state legislation, Ribeiro said she would not have advised other communities to look into a solar energy park. But the Green Communities Act and the Commonwealth Solar Program have ended several legislative barriers that Brockton had to deal with, Ribeiro said. "We fought a number of battles that do not exist today," Ribeiro said. The new laws make it easier to get the project approved and to access money, Ribeiro said. The Brockton Brightfield cost about $3 million, but about half of the money came from grants provided by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Renewable Energy Trust. Global Solar Inc., based in Arizona, designed, built, operates, and maintains the Brockton Brightfield, Ribeiro said. The City Council approved a petition by Councilor at-large Dennis Rosa earlier this summer to begin investigating the feasibility of bringing a similar 500-kilowatt solar energy park to Leominster. Rosa believes the capped landfill on Mechanic Street or Sholan Farms would be suitable sites for the park. Rosa said he would like to see construction under way on some form of alternative energy park within the next two or three years. "It's not going to happen overnight," Rosa said. "But if we do our due diligence, we can make this a reality. This is one of the most exciting projects I've worked on since being a member of the council." Council President Richard Marchand said it's vital for Leominster to try to stay at the forefront of alternative energy technology. "It is important that we investigate any avenue of potential energy savings for the citizens of Leominster," Marchand said. Ribeiro will discuss potential funding sources for a solar energy park during the meeting, Marchand said. The informational meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers. In other business, the council will continue a hearing on a request from HealthAlliance Hospital/Leominster to modify the Health Care Overlay District in order to make way for expansion plans. The expansion of the overlay district will allow the hospital to move forward with its 10-year master plan, according to David Duncan, the hospital's corporate vice president of facilities and engineering. The Planning Board got its first look at the plans earlier this month. Marchand said there are some concerns with the plan related to parking and buffer zones for residents near the hospital. "It's my understanding that HealthAlliance has made some alterations and modified their plan to address some of those issues," Marchand said. "I look forward to some healthy debate with their representatives Monday." The first part of the plan calls for the hospital to expand its emergency department. "We hope to start that expansion this time next year," Duncan said. Other future projects in the master plan include the possibility of new hospital buildings that could reach seven stories and a "multi-use" building near the Route 12 entrance that could have some health-related businesses and other commercial ventures, Duncan said. The proposed new outline of the district includes 11 properties the hospital has purchased. Marchand said there is still a lot of back and forth between city boards and the hospital that has to go on before changes to the overlay district are approved. "I think we're really moving in a positive direction," he said. "This has been a great effort by the city and HealthAlliance. I look forward to a final resolution in the late fall or early winter."  |
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