NextEra cancels 30-MW solar project in New Hampshire – report

NextEra Energy Resources LLC is no longer moving forward with the 30-MW Chinook Solar Project in New Hampshire, according to a March 30 report by The Keene (N.H.) Sentinel.

The NextEra Energy Inc. subsidiary determined the project was "not economically feasible," citing costs associated with integrating Chinook to the larger power grid as one factor, a company spokesperson told the newspaper.

NextEra secured approval from a siting committee in October 2020 for the project, which was to be located in Cheshire County along New Hampshire's border with Massachusetts.

Utilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island had agreements in place to purchase power from the project, according to the report.

Chinook was expected to be one of the largest solar projects in New Hampshire, along with NextEra's 50-MW Chariot Solar Project in Cheshire County.

NextEra did not respond to requests for comment.

New Hampshire ranked 40th in the nation in solar power capacity in the first quarter of 2021, with about 1% of the state's electricity fueled by the sun, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

In August 2021, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law a bill that would allow municipalities to build larger community solar arrays, increasing the cap for such installations to 5 MW from 1 MW.

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