Solar developer donates $5,000 to help Wareham's natural environment

Mar 21, 2018

A solar company that cleared land for renewable energy has given the town a $5,000 gift, to be used for trail and tree maintenance, Selectmen learned on March 20.

Boston-based solar developer BlueWave Solar is currently installing 32,724 solar panels on land off Charge Pond Road. At the Selectmen’s meeting, BlueWave Managing Director Jon Macini explained the gift to the town.

Since some trees were taken down to make way for the solar energy facility, the company wanted the donation to help clear trails and beautify a town forest, Macini said.

“We wanted to help give back to the community,” Macini said. He said dead tree removal at Minot Forest was an idea the company had in mind for the money.

Macini said officials at BlueWave Solar want to set up a community event in Wareham to help with trail maintenance and perform cleanup, as well.

Construction for the massive solar energy facility in an open space off Charge Pond Road was approved in December. The panels will generate roughly 12 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power approximately 490 medium-sized homes. The area is home to a mix of cranberry bogs and forests.

At meetings last fall discussing BlueWave’s plans, members of the Zoning Board of Appeals expressed concerns regarding clearing the land, which is home to an array of wildlife.