Homeowners urge changes to large-scale solar siting after installations near Broad Brook
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Summary
A Broad Brook homeowner told the committee that repeated large-scale solar installations near his neighborhood have caused noise, vegetation loss and erosion, and urged reforms to give municipalities greater say over siting and future projects.
Richard Levesque told the committee that large industrial solar arrays built near his Broad Brook subdivision have caused noise, fires, vegetation loss and erosion and that his neighborhood effectively faces ongoing industrial buildout. He asked lawmakers to give municipalities and residents more authority over future large-scale solar siting decisions.
Levesque said his family planned to retire in a quiet neighborhood but now sees multiple installations, including projects of more than 100 megawatts and a gravel-pit expansion over 500 acres. "We'd basically be in a fishbowl," he said, adding that decisions by the siting council have ignored local opposition.
He urged reforms so that towns and elected local officials have a stronger voice in future approvals and said his community has repeatedly opposed additional projects without success.
The committee did not take formal action on siting reform during the hearing; Levesque’s testimony was one of several public comments on bills being considered by the panel.
