Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solar Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town residents and select board raise safety concerns after solar-array failure and brush fire
Summary
At a May 20 select board meeting, residents and board members described a rare structural failure and brush fire at a large solar array on Waite Cemetery Road, questioned who is responsible and urged stricter oversight from the Public Utility Commission and owners.
A resident raised alarm at the select board meeting over a large commercial solar installation near Waite Cemetery Road after a brush fire in April, and town leaders told the board the failure exposed gaps in site access and oversight.
Chair (speaker 1) said the Waite Cemetery Road array experienced an unusual "unzipping" failure on the evening of April 12, when tilted panels took wind and separated, creating a brush fire that local volunteers and the fire department extinguished. "They were able to put out this fire," the chair said, adding that responders had trouble accessing the site and that panels continued producing electricity even after being disconnected in multiple places.
Residents and board members pressed for information about owner responsibility and insurance. The chair said the array is associated with a company whose representative, Shai Harel of Nexcom Group, told the town the owner would remediate and begin taking down panels. The board said the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) and Agency of Natural Resources had been notified, and that the PUC has accepted filings from the developer that the town finds inadequate — including, the chair said, a claim that crews delayed work because it was "deer nesting season."
Board members described the failure as "statistically very uncommon" and attributed it to probable engineering and installer errors rather than routine weather exposure. The chair said the project changed hands multiple times during development and that multiple firms handled engineering and installation, raising questions about continuity of responsibility.
The board said it plans follow-up: the chair scheduled a meeting with the zoning administrator and the fire chief to compile a town inventory of arrays, address access problems and determine whether additional protections or host-town agreement language are necessary. Several select board members urged residents to contact the PUC directly and encouraged public comment to prompt stronger state oversight.
The public comment exchange and the chair’s presentation did not produce a formal board action; board members said they would continue to press for documentation, review host-town agreements and seek clarity on insurance and remediation commitments.
The board expects further updates as staff review filings and continue discussions with the PUC, the fire department and the companies involved.
