Brochu Nurseries​ To Install Community Solar Project On Lower-Value, Degraded Farmland​​

CONCORD, NH — Local and state leaders on Monday gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Brochu Solar Project, a 6.70 MW DC (4.98 MW AC) community solar array developed by Lodestar Energy and hosted on the Brochu Nurseries property in Concord.

The event marked a significant milestone for community-driven clean energy development in New Hampshire.

The project, among the last of its scale currently feasible under New Hampshire’s soon-to-sunset net metering statute, is expected to generate substantial public benefits over its 15-year operational span, including more than $1 million in local electrical grid improvements, new tax revenue for the city, and net metering credits for participating municipal and educational offtakers, reducing energy costs for taxpayers across the state.

By siting the array on lower-value, degraded farmland, the project provides the Brochu family an opportunity to generate long-term income while preserving productive agricultural land elsewhere on the property.

The Brochu Solar Project will supply power to a range of state and local government Group net metering participants, including schools and municipal facilities. As rising energy prices continue to strain budgets statewide, the project underscores both the value of community-scale clean energy and the shrinking window for similar developments. New Hampshire’s current net metering policy is scheduled to expire in 2040, and without updated policy support, projects of this kind will become increasingly scarce.

The ceremony included remarks from project partners, recognition of the Brochu family for their collaboration and land stewardship, and a ceremonial groundbreaking. Attendees were invited to review project specifications and discuss its anticipated economic and energy impacts with partner organizations.

“As a nonprofit science center dedicated to inspiring our community through the exploration of space and STEM topics, we are proud to be part of a community solar collaborative that expands access to renewable energy,” Melissa Edwards at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center said. “Space exploration teaches us to think big, innovate boldly, and build a more sustainable future for our planet — values that align directly with advancing clean energy solutions here at home. By contributing to the growth of renewable energy in our community, we are reducing our environmental footprint while creating real-world learning opportunities for the students, educators, and families we serve.”

The project received a commendation from Gov. Kelly Ayotte, which read in part, “The Brochu solar project reflects a commitment to American manufacturing with the installation of more than eleven thousand domestically produced solar panels and related components, supporting American workers and the nation’s energy independence.”

Despite the celebration, storm clouds remained on the horizon for the clean energy industry in New Hampshire.

“We expect to see a small wave of projects like this come online in 2026, and in fact I feel fairly safe in making a bet that New Hampshire will see more solar come online in 2026 than in any previous year in the state’s history,” Sam Evans-Brown, the executive director of Clean Energy NH, said. “Developers are racing to get projects done before a series of arbitrary policy deadlines start to negatively impact the economics of their projects. Notably, the state’s community solar program — Group Net Metering — currently has an arbitrary end date in 2040. And despite multiple attempts to get regulators and policymakers to provide some sort of additional certainty to the solar industry, we’ve seen no movement from either the NH House of Representatives or the Public Utilities Commission on this issue.”

Multiple bills will be considered by lawmakers in 2026 to resolve this issue, including SB106, which was retained by the legislature over the summer, and SB449, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Tim Lang of Sanbornton.

Submitted by Clean Energy NH