HOLLIS, Maine — Nestlé Waters North America announced on Wednesday it intends to build a renewable energy project at its Poland Spring bottling plant in Hollis, Maine.
This proposed solar energy installation, a 10-megawatt AC (12.97-megawatt DC), is currently in the permit application process. It will supply enough clean electricity to meet approximately 20-25 percent of the current energy needs of the facility.
Once completed, the proposed solar project would occupy 47 acres of land, making it one of the largest contiguous solar arrays in Maine.
The annual greenhouse gas emission reductions resulting from this project is estimated to be the equivalent to removing more than 2,500 passenger vehicles from the road every year or producing enough renewable electricity annually to power the equivalent of 1,998 homes, which is greater than the number of homes in the Town of Hollis.
“At Poland Spring, we have a well-established track record of managing Maine’s water resources responsibly and sustainably for the long term," Cameron Lorrain, Nestlé Waters North America Northeast Regional Technical and Production Director said in a release. "With this project, we are planning to go further and are proud to align with the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals championed by Governor Janet Mills and recently codified in Maine law."
The project developer is EnterSolar of New York and the civil engineers are Sevee & Maher Engineers of Cumberland, Maine who have deep experience in solar projects in Maine.
Depending on the timing for permits from both the Town of Hollis and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the proposed groundbreaking could begin as soon as April 2021, with project completion projected for Spring 2022.