A former military radar base in a remote part of Somerset County could soon be the site of a large solar farm.

But first, the developers proposing the project need to convince voters in the small town of Moscow to change an ordinance passed in 2023 that effectively banned such projects.

At Moscow’s March 17 annual town meeting, voters in the town of about 500 people are expected to weigh in on repealing the ordinance, First Selectman Donald Beane said. The town meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Moscow Elementary School at 125 Canada Road.

Cianbro Corp., headquartered in Pittsfield, and Patriot Renewables, headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, have plans for a 60-megawatt solar farm in Moscow and Caratunk at a former U.S. Air Force Over-the-Horizon Backscatter Radar base once used to detect potential incoming aircraft and missile threats.

The two developers are partners in Western Maine Land Holdings, which owns the land according to Parker Hadlock, who is leading the project for Cianbro. The site was purchased in 2011.

The proposed solar panel arrays would have a footprint of about 105 acres in Caratunk and 97 acres in Moscow, a map on the project’s website shows. The energy produced would reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the current New England grid system by approximately 57,000 tons per year, according to the website.

The developers believe the radar site is ideal for a solar farm of this size. It is already cleared and flat, accessible by gravel roads and adjacent to electricity grid infrastructure.

“The solar farm will be nearly hidden from public view and will not impede traditional uses, such as timber harvesting, snowmobiling, ATV riding, and general access to the region,” the project website says.

The area is already home to a wind turbine development, dubbed Western Maine Renewable Energy. The construction of the turbines is complete, and the project is now in the commissioning phase, Hadlock said.

Hadlock said in emails the solar proposal is still in its early stages, and Cianbro and Patriot Renewables are aware that, at least in Moscow, the town’s voters need to make a key decision first.

Caratunk has an energy systems ordinance that covers wind, solar and electrical transmission projects, First Selectman Elizabeth Caruso said. The radar site proposal would be allowed under that ordinance, she said, although subject to a Planning Board review process and approval.

The developers claim on the project’s website that plans were already in the works before Moscow enacted its restrictive ordinance in 2023.

Moscow residents, by a vote of 16-4, enacted an ordinance at a November 2023 special town meeting prohibiting new solar developments that produce greater than 40kW and banned all commercial solar development.

Residents interviewed then said they had a variety of concerns, ranging from their visual appearance to impact on wildlife and soil contamination.

Moscow appeared to take its ordinance further than other Maine municipalities that have restricted solar farms or placed moratoriums on them. At the time, it was not clear if other towns had passed similar measures that essentially banned commercial solar developments altogether.

Beane, the first selectman, also said at the time that he had doubts about the ordinance’s legality.

Cianbro and Patriot Renewables have been pitching the project to area residents. In December, project staff held an information session in Moscow. Caruso, of Caratunk, said the developers have mailed informational materials to everyone in town.

The developers also launched a website, radarsolar.com, earlier this year. The website contains information, maps and answers to frequently asked questions.

As part of their pitch, developers say the project, as currently designed, would generate a minimum net tax revenue of $150,000 per year in Moscow and $180,000 per year in Caratunk, starting in 2028.

More revenue could be captured with tax increment financing developers say.

In general, a TIF designates an area where a municipality intends to capture increases in property taxes resulting from commercial investment or a new project. The municipality commits to fund specific projects using the tax revenue increase from the original assessed value.

The municipality also shelters the increase in valuation from the state’s valuation. That means the increase would not lead to higher property tax assessments from the county and school district.

Both Beane and Caruso said their towns have not moved forward with TIF proposals or have plans to put them before voters.

“We will probably wait and see how the town meeting vote goes and then proceed with looking into the TIF if that goes that way,” Beane said. “We’re not going to do too much for nothing, if the town doesn’t want to do it.”

While many rural Maine communities have moved to restrict solar farms in recent years, the state is moving toward more renewable energy sources. Gov. Janet Mills wants 100% of the state’s power to come from renewable sources by 2040.

About 13% of Maine’s electricity came from solar as of December, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a national trade group. It estimates that 1 megawatt of solar energy can power 172 homes on average.