A massive field of solar panels will be constructed near the Worcester Regional Airport, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) announced Thursday.
The state’s port authority announced that it is partnering with Kearsarge Solar to construct and operate a 20-megawatt solar field at the airport.
Kearsarge Solar is a solar energy company based in Boston.
The solar field will be built on 44 acres of land, which is roughly the size of 33.3 football fields. The field will be located on the Leicester side of the airport — away from aviation operations, according to a press release from Massport.
The solar field will generate 22.3 million kilowatt hours of clean energy, an amount roughly equivalent to Massport’s total electricity use for all of its facilities, except for the electricity used by its tenants including airlines and cruise lines, according to the press release.
The energy collected will be sent back to the state’s grid and then distributed to customers by National Grid, according to a Massport spokesperson.
“This project underscores Massport’s strong commitment to sustainability and reinforces our responsibility to minimize our environmental footprint across all of our facilities as we work toward achieving our Net Zero goal,” said Massport CEO Rich Davey in the press release. “Transforming this underutilized land at Worcester Regional Airport into one of the largest solar fields in the state is a win for the environment, a win for the community, and a smart step toward a more resilient future.”
The solar panels in the solar field will help reduce the need for electricity from the state’s grid and cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to the press release.
“The race is on to build the renewable generation we need to meet demand for clean electricity to power the transition to electric vehicles, clean heat, and new investments in AI and data centers,” Climate Chief of Massachusetts Melissa Hoffer said in the press release. “With this project, Massport is again demonstrating that not only is it possible to grow our economy and build clean energy, it’s actually cheaper— once that solar is built, it’s generating free electrons, reducing emissions and air pollution, and making our grid more resilient.”
The solar field is expected to be completed in 2028, according to a spokesperson for Massport.
