The largest solar farm north of the state of New Jersey went online with a flick of a switch, delivering clean energy to the town of Vergennes, Vermont.
The $5 million project encompasses 16-acres of land and is known as the Ferrisburgh Solar Farm. Event organizers played The Beatles' classic song "Here Comes the Sun" and donned sunglasses as they welcomed town residents and reporters to the unveiling of the new 1-megawatt solar panel system.
3,806 solar panels have been installed and the town affirms that they will provide clean energy for nearly 170 homes a year. Ernie Pomerleau, who spearheaded the project, told attendants in the room that the solar panel system "will be great for the community, great for the industry and we are going to move this ball up the field." Pomerleau praised Vermont's Sustainability Priced Energy Development Program, which approved the solar farm project.
According to the Addison County Independent, the projects backers told the audience that the panels will continue to harness the sun's energy even in the winter during light snow covering. The town's representative, Diane Lanpher, said she was "thrilled" to see the completed project and that it "is a feather in our cap."