Plaistow selectmen agree to pursue voter approval for longer landfill solar leases

At the Plaistow Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, members agreed by consensus to begin preliminary work that would let town voters decide whether to permit leases longer than five years on a portion of the Plaistow landfill for a potential solar array.

Town Manager Mr. Colby told the board that arrays of the size developers are proposing typically require long-term leases so contractors can recover upfront installation costs. “The companies that we have spoken with are looking for either a 25 or a 30 year type commitment so that they can recoup their costs of the initial installation over a, you know, a greater period of time,” Mr. Colby said. He described the item before the board as “a general authority to allow the town to lease that portion of land for a period longer than 5 years.”

The board discussed the practical effect: without voter authorization for a longer lease the town is unlikely to draw competitive proposals. Mr. Colby said only one company had provided a draft contract so far, and that other firms would not proceed until the town could offer a term longer than five years. Selectmen indicated they would support taking the preliminary steps; several members said the item would need to go to voters for final approval if the project proceeds.

The board did not adopt a formal lease or enter a binding agreement at the meeting. Members described the action as approval to continue preliminary work and, if progress permits, to put a longer-lease warrant article before voters. Mr. Colby said that, if the town were in a position to finalize details within about a year, the article could be placed on the warrant for the next March election.

Board members also noted external considerations raised during the discussion: some attendees observed that changes in federal incentives could affect project economics, reinforcing the desire to move the permitting and warrant-preparation work forward. No final contract terms, dollar figures, or a specific developer were approved; Mr. Colby said different companies propose different lease and payment structures and that this vote would not finalize those details.

The board’s next formal step on the project will be preparation of a warrant article and any draft lease terms the town elects to present to voters. No vote to authorize any lease longer than five years was taken at the Jan. 27 meeting; that authorization, if pursued, would require a separate voter-approved warrant article.