Keene-owned 5 MW solar arrays at Dillant-Hopkins Airport advance in Swansea; hearing continued to April 9

The Swansea Planning Board on March 26 reviewed a site plan from Revision Energy for a city-owned solar project at Dillant-Hopkins Airport and determined the application was complete, granted two technical waivers and continued the public hearing to April 9 to allow conservation review and additional submittals.

"The project that we have proposed is a 5 megawatt fixed tilt ground mounted array," said Megan Newland of Revision Energy, describing ground-screw foundations, buried electrical, equipment pads for inverters and transformers, and a maximum system height just under 12 feet. Newland told the board the city of Keene will own the arrays and that the design avoids moving components and tracking mechanisms.

Town planner Adam Paquette told the board staff had reviewed the packet and "concluded that the applicant ... meets all the site plan review regulations," while flagging one design detail: additional screening is needed at the northern end of subarray 1.

Board members voted to accept two waivers — one for a north-arrow/graphic-scale presentation issue and a second for a short gravel access…