Five solar farms come online in Maine, slashing electricity costs

Ampion Renewable Energy has brought five community solar farms in Maine online, adding nearly 25 megawatts (MW) of clean energy to the grid annually and generating over 28 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity.

Located in Franklin (main photo), Aroostook, Penobscot, and Washington Counties, these solar farms serve customers in Versant Power and Central Maine Power territories. Residential households and businesses that subscribe will save up to 15% on their electricity bills while supporting Maine’s transition to clean energy.

Nate Owen, CEO of Ampion, grew up in Maine and founded Ampion in Bar Harbor in 2014. “Community solar is an invaluable state program that provides Mainers with many benefits,” Owen said. “It bolsters the local economy, improves grid resilience, and is available to all types of electricity consumers.”

Ampion has signed 1,700 households and 70 businesses to these new community solar projects. The company will also handle billing and customer care for the next 20 years. Ampion manages subscriptions for 48 community solar projects in Maine, amounting to over 215 MW. The company is growing its Maine workforce to support this expansion, with about 10% of its employees already based in the state.

Ampion is also partnering with local organizations, like The Highlands, a senior living community in Topsham. “We feel good about supporting local jobs and helping to make more clean energy available to the grid, all while helping our community members save money on electricity,” said Troy Chapman, operations director at The Highlands.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, as of Q3 2024, Maine had 1415 MW of solar installed and has a growth projection of 1581 MW of solar over the next five years.

Read more: Walmart and Nexamp are rolling out 31 solar farms in 5 states

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