The Town of Southbury is inviting residents to learn about a proposed solar array at its Transfer Station property before the project moves to formal review later this year.
The public information outreach event is set for Thursday, April 30, starting at 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall (Room 205). Residents are invited to learn more about the project and address any potential concerns they may have.
In 2024, the town issued a request for proposals seeking a developer to design, build, and potentially finance a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system on the capped landfill at the Transfer Station site at 231 Kettletown Road.
Southbury selected Verogy, a West Harford-based solar energy company, and signed a lease option agreement with the firm in June 2025.
Brian Fitzgerald, Verogy’s Director of Development, presented details to the Board of Finance at its April 13 meeting. He explained the deal is a land lease arrangement, essentially making Southbury function as the landlord, with the developer taking on all costs and risks of building and operating the system.
“The structure of this agreement ensures that the town of Southbury has no out-of-pocket expenditures at all … not during the development phase, not during the operation phase,” said Fitzgerald.
The project calls for a roughly three-acre installation atop the landfill cap, with 1,572 solar modules, five inverters and a capacity of approximately 600 kilowatts AC (alternating current).
The inverters and power transformer are the only noise generating equipment on the project, said Fitzgerald, with the nearest abutting property line being approximately 300 feet away to the south.
Per the terms of the lease, the project must pay $38,563.47 each year for the 20-year term of the lease, equal to approximately $771,000 over the 20-year term. This payment is inclusive of rent and personal property taxes otherwise owed by the project to the town.
The project is intended to provide new revenue to the town over the next 25–30 years.
The project has a fixed price revenue contract with Eversource to sell the electricity and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for a 20-year term.
Fitzgerald noted that Verogy operates similar solar projects on landfills around the state, including Deep River, Middletown, and Montville, and has projects under construction in Somers, Suffield, Mansfield, and Morris. He said those projects are financed through arrangements with banks, and that Verogy has operated in Connecticut for more than seven years without a default.
He added that construction impacts would be minimal, with the scheduling of delivery vehicles to be coordinated with the Public Works Department to avoid disruption.
If the project clears Planning Commission review, construction could begin in April 2027, with completion expected by September 2027.
Following the outreach session, the Town will post presentation materials online, publish a FAQ addressing questions raised by residents, share a summary of community feedback and note any changes to the project.
The Southbury Record 