Farmington approves land lease for solar project

FARMINGTON — By a vote of 2,992 to 788, voters approved leasing a section of the former landfill for a solar project.

The electrical power generation and transmission project, known as the Farmington Landfill DG Solar Energy Center, will lease 25 acres of the closed landfill at 152 Dump Road for $1,250 per acre for 20 years. Boulevard Associates will own, build and operate the solar array.

Revenue to Farmington will be about $31,250 per year based on the lease. The project is also taxable.

Power generated would go into the electric grid and not be earmarked specifically for Farmington.

“Boulevard Associates is an affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources,” Town Manager Richard Davis said in an email last month. “The landfill project, however, is completely separate from NextEra’s Farmington Solar project currently under construction.”