Benefits Of Massachusetts Solar Projects Felt

The solar revolution is on the rise, and cities throughout the Northeast are taking drastic steps to join it. As electricity rates soar and incentives for going solar really begin to pick up steam, it's no wonder that solar energy is spreading across the country at such a rapid rate. Benefits of Massachusetts solar projects felt across the stateDue to the installation of solar throughout its cities, Massachusetts ranks sixth among the 50 U.S. states in total solar capacity. The Boston Globe reported that the state's success with solar came to be as a result of the 2008 Green Communities Act. Governor Deval Patrick and the state legislature started this clean-energy initiative that enforced various policies and new incentives to encourage clean energy across the state. The act required utilities to increase investments in energy efficiency measures and also mandated that 15 percent of electricity would be supplied by renewable energy by 2020. Massachusetts now produces more than 500 megawatts of solar power, powering over 75,000 homes. Approximately 8,000 jobs have also been created through the solar projects in the past five years. Since the state's solar projects began, they have eliminated 9 million tons of carbon dioxide, which, according to the Globe, is the equivalent of taking 10,000 cars off the streets of Massachusetts. Meanwhile, cities and towns in the Commonwealth are expected to see over 500 million in savings on electric costs as a result of the projects that are already underway. With more projects on the horizon, this number is set to increase. However, now that the cap initially put on the amount that utilities were required to invest in has been reached, it is essential that the Legislative act raises this cap. The Department of Energy Resources Commissioner, Mark Sylvia, recently brought together a group of utility and solar power industry executives to work with the legislature to raise the metering cap and establish a long-term solar financing and development program. According to the legislature's Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, Massachusetts' solar and utility companies have come to a consensus that a clean-energy environment is very profitable and one worth working diligently toward. New Bedford named one of nation's solar leadersAccording to the Boston Globe, New Bedford is the largest consumer of solar power per capita in the Northeast and also ranks among the top five cities in the U.S. for its utilization of solar power for homes and businesses. The city has several solar projects underway that will eventually save the city's residents over 20 million in electricity costs throughout the next 20 years. For example, according to South Coast Today, New Bedford constructed a waste-to-energy facility in the Rochester Environmental Park in December, which is officially called the Zero Waste Solutions. The city is planning on investing 38 million in the facility, which will be powered by the sun through its 88,000 solar panels installed on its roof. There are also several solar projects in the works for different schools throughout New Bedford that are powered by solar. The Nativity Prepatory School and the New Bedford High School are only a couple of examples. The city has noted that they see a connection between the installation of solar panels on schools around the city and the education of their students. According to the New Bedford Guide, Dr. Pia Durkin, the Superintendent of New Bedford Public Schools said last year, "Our public schools are essential to the City's long-term economic competitiveness. That is why science education is such a high priority. But to succeed we need to make our science curriculum relevant and inspiring. The world must be our science lab, and that is exactly the approach we intend with the solar project here at New Bedford High."