ELLINGTON, CT — A revised filing for a proposed Ellington solar facility shows that most of the property is classified as farmland of statewide importance, a designation that was missing from the developer's original map.
Greenskies Clean Energy is seeking state approval to build a 4.99-megawatt solar facility on School House Road near the Stafford town line. Plans call for 11,076 solar panels on a roughly 74.5-acre property currently used to grow apples and peaches.
The revised farmland map identifies 67.37 acres of farmland of statewide importance on the property. About 26.26 acres carrying that designation would fall inside the proposed solar facility's fence.
No part of the property is classified as prime farmland, according to the filing.
The updated map was submitted after the Ellington Conservation Commission alerted the Connecticut Siting Council that the original version did not identify the farmland designation.
The commission said the site is a working orchard and that converting it into a large solar facility would conflict with the town's goals of preserving working farms and natural resources. Commissioners also raised concerns about possible effects on water and wildlife.
Greenskies acknowledged that the initial map was incomplete and submitted a corrected version July 17.
In its responses to questions from the Siting Council, the company said the entire parcel is enrolled in Connecticut's Public Act 490 program, which provides reduced property assessments for farm, forest and open-space land.
The portion used for the solar facility could lose that classification after construction, Greenskies said. The remaining acreage could stay in the program.
The company estimated the project would cost about $11 million, excluding utility interconnection fees. Eversource would purchase the facility's electricity, capacity and renewable-energy credits through the state's Shared Clean Energy Facility program.
The solar array would include 40 inverters, a seven-foot security fence and a gated access road from School House Road. The nearest occupied home would be about 228 feet from the fence, according to the developer.
Greenskies said the project would allow the property to remain in the owners' family as orchard operations wind down. The company also said the array was positioned to avoid nearby forests, wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas.
Construction could begin in the spring or summer of 2027, with the facility expected to begin operating later that year.
The Connecticut Siting Council has set a Nov. 29 deadline to issue its decision on the proposal, known as Petition 1711. The complete case record is available on the Siting Council's website.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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