UGE announced that it has reached commercial operation (COD) on six new solar projects totaling 16 MW. The projects include UGE’s first two community solar projects in Maryland; its first community solar project in Oregon, a second municipal PPA project in Texas; and two community solar projects in Maine. With the completion of these six projects, UGE’s operating portfolio now stands at 24 MW, with projects operating across six states.
The Maryland, Oregon, and Maine projects will all join their respective states’ community solar programs, bringing cheaper, cleaner electricity to households and businesses that aren’t able to install solar on their own rooftops. The Texas project will bring affordable renewable energy to the rural municipality where it’s sited.
Among the projects are UGE’s first project to qualify for the Energy Community Tax Credit put into place via the Inflation Reduction Act. The credit incentivizes renewable energy developers like UGE to site projects on contaminated land or in communities historically dependent on the nonrenewable energy economy. UGE’s two Maryland projects qualify for the energy community credit under the coal facility closure category, which was designed to promote economic revitalization in regions affected by the closure of coal mines and coal-fired power plants.
The Oregon project is UGE’s largest to reach commercial operation since transitioning to an independent power purchaser (IPP) model. The Texas project is UGE’s second in the town of Smithville, and UGE’s first to receive a grant from the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The two new Maine projects, both located in the Bangor area, bring UGE’s total operating portfolio in the state to 7.5 MW across four projects. One of the two Maine projects is built atop a former concrete fabrication and storage site.
“Successfully achieving commercial operation for six projects in one month is a massive achievement, and I’m deeply proud of our team for the weeks, months and years of work that went into getting here,” said Nick Blitterswyk, CEO of UGE. “Our operating portfolio grew roughly five-fold in 2024, showing what our team is capable of now that we’ve transitioned to a model whereby we develop, own, and operate our projects, and I’m excited for all we will accomplish in the coming years on our mission to make renewable energy accessible and affordable for all.”
News item from UGE
