Chubbuck Road landfill solar permit filed; Energy Commission warned permit review can extend months

The Energy Commission received an update Feb. 27 on the Chubbuck Road landfill solar project: the project team has filed a solid-waste permit application with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and is preparing an alteration-of-terrain (AOT) application.

Jean Walker, assistant town manager, said the DES solid-waste permit has the longest review time—about 120 days under typical schedules—and that the process can lengthen if the state asks for additional information. Walker said the project’s consultant, Novus, was turning attention to the AOT application and that the team expects another sizable submission by the end of the following week.

Commissioners discussed timelines tied to financing and federal incentives. Members asked whether slipping past this year would materially change project viability; staff said the previously authorized bond would cover the full project amount and that bond issuance can be handled through the state bond bank in a standard offering. Commission members noted grant and federal-incentive timing remains uncertain and that earlier completion is preferable to preserve current funding assumptions.

An attendee with prior experience representing clients in siting and interconnection matters confirmed an interconnection study had been completed and said upgrades to the distribution line were already in place, which commission members described as encouraging for the schedule.

Walker said the major remaining schedule risk is the state permit review cycle and that the commission should expect at least several months of review and possible back-and-forth with regulators. The commission’s record will track the submission and the project’s permitting milestones.