Connecticut’s Solar Ambitions Hit Skepticism From A Major Utility
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Connecticut announced plans to procure 63.4 megawatts of solar capacity from projects in New Hampshire and Maine. The announcement comes as Eversource, the state’s largest electric utility, has not signed agreements for 54 MW selected in a previous round, citing costs and uncertainty over state energy policy.

Connecticut has selected 63.4 megawatts of solar capacity from projects planned in New Hampshire and Maine, but it is not yet clear whether utilities will sign the purchase agreements needed to move the projects forward. The announcement comes as Eversource, Connecticut’s largest electric utility, continues to hold off on contracts for 54 MW selected in a previous procurement, citing prices and unresolved state energy-policy decisions.

The newly selected projects must still negotiate with utilities and finalize agreements before their electricity can be bought under the state’s procurement. Eversource’s earlier hesitation has put that step under scrutiny: in a March letter to state regulators, the company said it would not enter into agreements for the previously selected projects at that time. It cited prices it considered “over-market” and unresolved decisions about Connecticut’s energy policy.

Eversource says it remains in discussions with the developers of the two outstanding agreements. Spokesperson Tricia Modifica said the company had made “steady progress” and would file the power-purchase agreements with regulators if they are successfully finalized. That statement does not commit the utility to signing them. United Illuminating, the state’s other utility expected to negotiate contracts, is still in talks with developers from the earlier round; the source report says it is responsible for less capacity than Eversource.

Connecticut’s energy department said it is closely aligned with utilities on next steps. The state has also floated alternatives to standard utility contracts in future procurements, including naming another buyer or using a different contractual mechanism. Those options are proposals, not confirmed arrangements for the newly selected projects.

At a glance
updateWhen: The latest 63.4 MW procurement was anno…
The developmentConnecticut has selected 63.4 MW of out-of-state solar capacity while Eversource’s unresolved contracts from an earlier procurement raise questions about whether the new projects will secure utility agreements.

Utility Signatures Could Shape Solar Growth

The issue is whether selected projects can turn into signed deals and, eventually, operating generation. Connecticut’s stated goals include lowering greenhouse gas emissions and meeting growing energy demand while reducing prices. Delays or failed negotiations could complicate that effort, particularly because the state expects solar to play a major role in its clean-energy plans.

Uncertainty also matters to project developers and investors. RENEW Northeast president Francis Pullaro said concern remains about whether counterparties will sign contracts. He argued that successful multistate procurements can signal that New England is a viable market for investment. The selections alone, however, do not guarantee construction or delivery of electricity.

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Earlier Solar Deals Remain Unsettled

Connecticut has a target of reaching 100% clean energy by 2040, and the state has pursued large-scale solar through competitive procurements. Since 2022, 71 MW of solar capacity selected through procurement processes has come online, according to the source report.

Other efforts have not produced the intended agreements. A 2024 plan to procure 518 MW from projects in Connecticut and Maine fizzled after developers and utilities failed to reach a deal. In December 2025, a separate procurement selected 54 MW of solar projects; Eversource later declined to sign their agreements at that time. The latest selection is part of a wider regional approach: three states signed on to procure 102 MW in the round announced last month, while a 2025 multistate procurement involved four states and 173 MW across five projects.

Eversource’s position is that affordability deserves weight when utilities decide whether to commit customers to project costs. The company has also argued that Connecticut lacks a long-term clean-energy strategy comparable to plans in neighboring states such as Massachusetts, leaving customers exposed to wholesale-market price swings. Those are the utility’s stated concerns, not a finding by state regulators.

““There’s definitely still some concern about the willingness of the counterparties to sign the contract.””

— Francis Pullaro, president of RENEW Northeast

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Contracts and Project Timelines Remain Open

No agreements for the newly selected 63.4 MW are confirmed in the source material. It does not specify when negotiations will conclude, which utility would buy each project’s output, or whether all the selected capacity will proceed. Eversource has not committed to signing the earlier 54 MW agreements, despite saying talks continue.

The path for Husky Solar is also unsettled. Verogy is developing an alternative plan while the project is under review by the Connecticut Siting Council; the company anticipates a decision in the first quarter of 2027. The source does not say what that decision will be or whether it will resolve the project’s contract questions. The proposed alternatives to utility power-purchase agreements have not been adopted as a final mechanism.

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Negotiations Will Determine the Next Milestone

The immediate next step is for developers and utilities to negotiate and finalize agreements for the newly selected projects. Eversource’s discussions over the two earlier agreements also remain active; if finalized, the company says it will file them with state regulators. The source does not give a deadline for either set of negotiations.

Verogy says it expects a Connecticut Siting Council decision on Husky Solar in the first quarter of 2027. State officials and utilities may also continue considering how future procurements could be structured, including whether a buyer other than a utility or a different contract mechanism could be used. Whether those discussions lead to signed agreements—and how much of the selected solar capacity ultimately comes online—remains to be seen.

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Key Questions

How much solar capacity did Connecticut select in its latest procurement?

The state announced plans to procure 63.4 MW from solar projects planned in New Hampshire and Maine. The selection is not the same as a finalized purchase agreement.

Why is Eversource’s position drawing attention?

Eversource, Connecticut’s largest electric utility, has not signed agreements for 54 MW selected in an earlier round. In a March letter, it cited prices it considered over-market and unresolved state energy-policy decisions.

Has Eversource ruled out signing the earlier contracts?

No. The utility says discussions with developers are continuing and that it will file the two outstanding agreements with regulators if they are successfully finalized. It has not committed to signing them.

What is happening with the Husky Solar project?

Verogy’s Husky Solar project was selected to provide 12.5 MW to Connecticut. The company says it is developing a new path forward while the project is under review by the Connecticut Siting Council, with a decision anticipated in the first quarter of 2027.

Could Connecticut use a different buyer for future solar projects?

The state’s energy department has floated naming another entity as buyer or using a different contractual mechanism instead of a standard utility power-purchase agreement. These remain ideas under consideration, not a confirmed plan for the current projects.

Source: rss

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