State Regulators Approve Gravel Pit Solar Expansion In East Windsor

EAST WINDSOR, CT — State regulators voted Thursday to approve a modification that clears the way for an expansion of Gravel Pit Solar in East Windsor, advancing a plan that would add up to 30 megawatts of additional capacity to the existing facility.

The Connecticut Siting Council voted 6–0 to approve the draft findings of fact, draft opinion, and draft decision and order for Docket 492A during its March 5 meeting, with council member Michael Lynch recusing himself from the vote.

The action approves the written decision documents and authorizes issuance of a modified certificate for the project, which was originally approved as a 120-megawatt solar facility on multiple parcels in East Windsor.

Vote Clears Expansion Plan Forward

Council members reviewed the documents, which were dated Feb. 27, before taking the final vote. During the discussion, council member Michael Carter asked for an update on the status of an ISO New England large generator interconnection agreement referenced in the findings, but staff said they did not have an update.

During the council’s review of the draft opinion, council member Patricia Hall requested language clarifying that any final landscaping plan required to reduce visual impacts would include ongoing maintenance. Staff indicated the change would be incorporated into the final documents.

Expansion Would Add Up To 30 Megawatts

Under the modified plan, Gravel Pit Solar would expand onto additional adjacent parcels in East Windsor and add new solar arrays in four non-contiguous areas, with output limited to no more than 30 megawatts delivered to the grid.

The expansion proposal identifies 15 additional parcels, with an approximately 150-acre facility expansion site within a larger project area spanning hundreds of acres.

Most Infrastructure Already In Place, State Says

The project would use the existing Gravel Pit Solar substation and the Eversource switchyard, and the plan does not call for new transmission interconnections or new transmission structures to serve the expansion.

The draft opinion describes an expansion that would include tens of thousands of solar panels installed on fixed racking, along with inverters, fencing and new gravel access drives serving the four array areas.

Town Orders Addressed

The ruling also addresses municipal “regulate and restrict” orders submitted by the East Windsor Planning and Zoning Commission. The council’s draft opinion states that local zoning regulations do not apply to facilities under the council’s exclusive jurisdiction, and the council granted Gravel Pit Solar’s appeals of the town’s orders under state law.

Environmental conditions were included in the approval.

The draft opinion includes conditions aimed at reducing impacts, including requirements tied to visual screening and siting decisions in areas where the project could be visible from local roads.

It also outlines wildlife and habitat considerations near Ketch Brook and describes additional requirements focused on a high-quality vernal pool area near one of the proposed array areas, including directing the developer to consider reducing or eliminating panels in that area to the extent feasible.

The project’s operational plans would be filed in a required management plan.

As part of the approval, Gravel Pit Solar must submit a Development and Management Plan that includes finalized designs and project plans, such as a final site plan, erosion and sediment control measures, and other construction details.

The draft opinion also references proposed operational measures, including emergency response training, post-construction noise verification and long-term vegetation management that could include sheep grazing in some areas.