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Plaistow selectmen seek authority to allow longer solar leases on town landfill
Summary
At their Jan. 27 meeting the Plaistow Board of Selectmen discussed authorizing the town to permit solar-lease terms longer than five years so private companies would consider installing a solar array on the town landfill; board members said any long-term lease would still require voter approval and a separate contract.
PLAISTOW, N.H. — At its Jan. 27 meeting the Plaistow Board of Selectmen discussed asking voters to allow lease terms longer than five years for a proposed solar array on the town landfill so private developers would present viable proposals.
Board members said many solar developers will not submit proposals unless they can secure 25- to 30-year leases that let them recover upfront installation costs. The discussion was framed as a preliminary step: the board would only be authorizing the town to extend allowable lease terms so companies will engage, not approving any specific long-term contract.
The request before the board would change the town’s authority to permit leases longer than five years for that specific parcel. Board members repeatedly said any final long-term lease would still need voter approval; the selectmen emphasized the current conversation was to enable companies to provide complete proposals. One selectman added that some developers have indicated they will not pursue projects under five-year terms.
Only one company has provided a draft contract to the town so far, selectmen said; others have declined to prepare proposals while the town’s lease limit remained at five years. Board members described the authorization as a “stop-gap” step to attract bidders and to allow more detailed negotiations and environmental and contract review before any voter question or final agreement.
Board members discussed timing: if preliminary work proceeds and a proposal is ready, they said the item could be placed before voters next March, but no timeline was final. A selectman also raised a concern that current federal tax incentives for renewable projects could change, and said that accelerated action could preserve potential tax advantages for the town or developer.
The discussion closed with the selectmen indicating informal consensus to permit staff to pursue the preliminary work that would allow lease terms longer than five years for the landfill parcel, subject to later formal approvals and voter action. No formal vote to authorize a long-term lease or to enter into any contract was taken at the meeting.
Next steps listed by selectmen include continuing conversations with interested companies, reviewing any draft contracts that are submitted, and preparing materials for a potential voter warrant if a finalized proposal emerges.
