Massachusetts-based BlueWave Capital, a solar energy development company, has been awarded the 2015 PV Project of Distinction Award, along with its project partners (SunEdison, Beaumont Solar and Pro-Tech Energy Solutions). The award, which was presented by the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Solar Electric Power Association at PV America in Boston earlier this week, recognizes major achievements within the solar industry in the Northeastern United States.
The 1.75 MWDC project, “Sullivan’s Ledge”, is located on a former CERCLIS-listed (Superfund), city-owned landfill in New Bedford Massachusetts. The project is part of an 18 MW solar portfolio BlueWave is developing for the City that will save New Bedford taxpayers more than $40M and will eliminate 30M tons of C02. These efforts have made New Bedford the #1 municipality east of the Mississippi River in its use of solar electricity, and #4 in the country.
The award recognizes the efforts of a diverse set of more than twenty public agencies and community stakeholders as a model for community engagement and collaboration on brownfield properties.
“We accept this award on behalf of a remarkable team of partners: The City of New Bedford, our financing partner SunEdison, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Eversource TRC Solutions, Beaumont Solar, ProTech, the PRP Committee and many others came together as one to overcome some very steep challenges,” said John DeVillars, BlueWave Capital’s managing principal. “We are enormously grateful for each of their contributions to a project that will provide substantial community benefit to the residents of New Bedford for many years to come.”
The 2015 PV Project of Distinction Award is the second major award BlueWave, the City of New Bedford and their partners have earned for the development of this site. In December of 2014 the Environmental Protection Agency’s awarded BlueWave, the City and their partners the first 'Superfund Excellence in Site Re-use Award.
“The recognition of this project is testament to the determination and creativity of the City’s partners at Bluewave," said Jon Mitchell, Mayor of New Bedford. "It is not a simple undertaking to construct a solar park on a Superfund site, but that was the challenge and we met it. Together with BlueWave, we turned what was an environmental liability into a tremendous environmental asset for the City of New Bedford.”
According to BlueWave Capital, the Sullivan Ledge project’s economic and environmental benefits will save The City of New Bedford more than $3M over a 20-year contract while generating carbon reductions equivalent to taking 352 cars off the road.