Former Massachusetts Coal-Fired Power Plant Now Solar Farm

The Mount Tom Station coal-fired power plant was run in Holyoke, MA for more than 50 years. The plant generated energy for the city, but was also held accountable for resident’s health problems. In 2009, the plant was no longer profitable leading to its closure in 2014. However, the Power Plant now has a new purpose as it has been transformed into a solar farm as of last year.

The Farm is now made up of 17,000 solar panels making it the largest solar farm in Massachusetts. The employees that feared unemployment were even given a second chance. The younger employees were offered to be retrained and the older employees were offered a bridge to retirement so that they could access savings and pensions earlier than usual. Overall, this project has helped the city become more reliable renewable energy sources while allowing residents to pay lower utility fees.

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