The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Utilities will hold a public hearing on a proposed solar project in North Dartmouth at 7 p.m. on March 2 at Dartmouth Middle School.

NextSun Energy LLC is seeking zoning exemptions for a proposed ground solar array and energy storage facility at 293 Flag Swamp Road, a 44-acre site located on cranberry bog land.

As planned, the solar array will consist of 16,770 370-watt solar modules mounted on around 4,200 piers in rows 21 feet apart and will sit ten feet above the bogs at the horizontal position. The array includes tracking equipment, two inverters, and a transformer. The 24 megawatt-hour storage facility will consist of battery modules, six enclosures to house the batteries, converters, and ancillary equipment. Each battery enclosure will be located on a concrete pad. 

At the hearing, the company will present an overview of its plans, after which the public will be invited to ask questions or comment on the proposal.

Dartmouth Middle School is located at 366 Slocum Road.

Members of the public may also file written comments by 5 p.m. on March 16, 2020. Any written comments must be filed with a hard copy sent to Hearing Officer Robert J. Shea at the state’s Department of Public Utilities, and by email attachment to dpu.efiling@mass.gov and to robert.j.shea@mass.gov as well as to NextSun Energy counsel John A. DeTore at detorej@gtlaw.com. Written comments must include the docket number, DPU 19-133, and the name and contact information for the person submitting the comment.

More information including the zoning exemption petition is available at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities website at eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/DPU/Fileroom/dockets/bynumber/19-133 . Hard copies are also available at the Dartmouth Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall, 400 Slocum Road, or at the Southworth or North Dartmouth Libraries as well as at the Department of Public Utilities Office in Boston.