Sanford has a new 28-megawatt solar array online, one of the largest installations in southern Maine.
The Mousam River Solar Project is built on 140 acres of privately owned parcels of land and can provide enough electricity for 6,000 homes.
Jack Kenworthy, Chief Development Officer for Walden Renewables, said it offers the kind of clean energy that grid operator ISO - New England is looking for.
"There's space for projects like this to be developed in Maine. There's capacity on the grid for projects to inter-connect. There's willing buyers for the power. So I think there's the right combination of ingredients in a large electricity market that has a lot of demand for renewables," Kenworthy said.
Kenworthy said there is a buyer for the power from the project with a large presence in Maine and New England that will be announced early next year.
Keith McBride, Executive Director of the Sanford Regional Economic Growth Council, said expanding the city's tax base is just one of the benefits of the new infrastructure.
"Projects that diversify the city's economy really do accomplish one of our major economic development goals, for making sure from a fiscal standpoint that Sanford is a healthy growing community," McBride said.
McBride said the Mousam River Solar Project is one of two utility grade solar arrays in the city. The other is sited at the airport.
Walden Renewables is working with the city and York County Community College, McBride said, to offer a technician training program to help grow the region's clean energy workforce.
