ReVision Energy is looking to develop a 1,000-panel solar array near the Kennebec Water District Treatment Plant, above, at 462 Main St. in Vassalboro. The electricity produced by the solar array would be used for KWD’s energy needs. Contributed photo

VASSALBORO — Town officials moved closer to approving a 1,000-panel solar farm on Main Street during the Vassalboro Planning Board meeting Tuesday night.

The 3-acre solar array is to be located near the Kennebec Water District Treatment Plant at 462 Main St.

Construction is tentatively slated to begin next spring, according to Annalise Kukor, a solar project developer with ReVision Energy.

All of the electricity generated by the array will be sent to KWD’s facilities in Vassalboro, Waterville and surrounding areas. The land the array will occupy is owned by KWD, though the array itself is being developed by ReVision Energy.

“There’s no sale of power here,” Kukor said. “It’s on Kennebec Water District land, but it’s owned by a third party. The only people who can take power from this are going to be the Kennebec Water District.”

There is no precise timeline for when the project is to begin or when the array is to be operational, Kukor said, because KWD and ReVision Energy are just completing the pre-application process.

While town and energy company officials have been discussing the project for months, ReVision Energy is expected to file a formal application for the project early next year, Kukor said at Tuesday’s meeting.

Members of the Planning Board asked about the farm’s proximity to Main Street and about the potential impact that decommissioning the array could have on the nearby Outlet Stream.

Kukor said about 50 feet and a buffer of trees and vegetation are expected to remain between Main Street and the solar array.

Before construction can begin, the companies must acquire additional permitting from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to assuage environmental concerns, according to Kukor.

“It won’t be built until late spring at the earliest,” she said. “I’m not sure we’ll have all our site plan documents as detailed as we need them, so I’m expecting to submit a full application in February.”

If approved, the solar farm would be one of hundreds built across Maine over the past five years as part of Gov. Janet Mills’ push to move the state toward using 100% renewable energy for its electricity by 2040.

More than half of the state’s energy comes from clean sources, according to a report last year from the Maine Climate Council. The amount has trended upward in recent years.

Maine relies largely on natural gas for generating electricity, though companies and communities in the state are increasingly adopting renewable energy generation on the local level as the price of natural gas continues to increase globally and more incentives are made available for producing renewable energy.

While the Planning Board took no action on the array Tuesday, officials are expected to approve the project when a formal application is submitted.

“I think we’re on the same page,” board member Dan Bradstreet told Kukor.