Large solar panels have been proposed for a small Massachusetts town

SHUTESBURY, Mass. (AP) – A Canadian company is proposing a massive solar energy project on about 200 acres in a small town in western Massachusetts.

Ontario-based Amp Energy is taking preliminary steps to use up to 190 acres on several parcels in Shutesbury owned by WD Cowls Inc. for a project expected to generate 45 megawatts of power enough for 5,000 households, The Daily Hampshire reported Wednesday “Newspaper”.

“As far as I know, it would be the largest facility in Massachusetts,” Evan Turner, an Amp representative, told the Select Board and Planning Board. The company already has an option to lease land.

Amp is backtracking on a promise to give the city $450,000 in the first year of payments in lieu of taxes through a so-called municipal corporation.

Such partnerships, in which a host community helps operate a solar project, could mean a fast track through state approval under new regulations developed by the state Department of Energy Resources under the Solar Renewable Energy program.

Select Board member April Stein told developers she was intrigued by ideas about lowering the city tax rate, making funds available for services and providing green energy.