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Town planner warns 12‑month consolidated permitting deadline could yield automatic approvals for clean‑energy projects
Summary
Freetown's planning staff briefed the Select Board on a new state consolidated permitting process for small clean‑energy projects (solar ≤25 MW, battery storage ≤100 MWh), noting a 12‑month concurrent review deadline that could lead to constructive approval if local agencies do not meet timelines.
Town planner Nancy told the Select Board the Department of Energy Resources has published a consolidated permitting process aimed at accelerating siting for small clean‑energy projects under the Climate Act. Projects up to 25 megawatts for solar and battery storage up to 100 MWh will generally be handled through this process; larger projects go to the state energy facility siting board and a longer, 15‑month process.
"If we don't make the 12 month deadline, then they get what is called constructive or automatic approval," Nancy said, emphasizing the need for the town to coordinate departmental reviews and to appoint a local representative — typically the town administrator — to avoid default approvals. She recommended the town decide whether to begin the process (the latest opt‑in date is Oct. 1, 2026), prepare departmental checklists to keep reviews concurrent, and consider legal counsel for ambiguous items in the state guidance.
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