Seabrook OKs 20-year deal with solar firm

Jul. 18--SEABROOK -- Town officials approved a 20-year tax agreement this week with PS Renewables, a solar company planning to open a new electrical generating facility.

The company already sought approval from the Planning Board and was seeking final approval from the Board of Selectmen for a payment-in-lieu-of taxes agreement. Selectmen voted unanimously to grant approval for the 20-year agreement at Monday's board meeting.

PS Renewables, operated by Frank Decker and William Larsen, is in the business of designing, building and maintaining utility scale solar installations and is planning to build one at 27-45 Stard Road. The company has opened facilities under similar agreements in Farmington, Laconia and Milton.

This will be the first solar farm to open in Seabrook, according to Town Manager Bill Manzi.

"Clearly, this project is good for the town of Seabrook and the environment," said Alan Ganz, an attorney representing PS Renewables at the meeting. "Solar farms produce no additional traffic after construction, they produce no waste after construction, they do not use water or produce wastewater, they produce no strain on public services such as the schools (or) policing."

In addition, Ganz said, solar facilities produce clean, sustainable energy; make no noise; and bring in significant investment with no risk to the town.

The payment agreement states there are two levels of taxation -- unimproved land will be taxed to the landowner and any improvements PS Renewables makes to any land will be taxed to the business. These agreements are usually set for five years, said Selectwoman Theresa Kyle, unless there is an advantage to the town.

"It's not like it will be we're getting all the tax money, it will be given out just as we do our regular homeowner's taxes," Kyle said. "Some of it goes to the school district, among other things. It's not like we have this big windfall, but it is a good idea because the town will have certainty in what we're getting."

The plan was approved by the Planning Board subject to some conditions, including granting certain easements related to Seabrook Water Development, said Manzi, who added that he thinks this is a good agreement between the town and PS Renewables.

"This is an additional benefit to the Town of Seabrook," Manzi said. "We get some solar energy out of it, which is a good social need and the landowner continues to pay taxes."

Taxes will be paid based on the generation capacity of the solar farm rather than revenue, Kyle noted. If there is an increase in generation capacity, "then the amount the town would see would go up as well," she said.

For more about PS Renewables: http://psrenewables.com/.

Staff writer Amanda Getchell covers Newburyport and Seabrook. Follow her on Twitter @ajgetch.

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