A fire started by utility equipment connected to a solar power plant in Connecticut was put out quickly. However, the plant has had continued issues, causing much local consternation, to the point where the facility is currently shut down. These issues, coupled with the facility owner’s defense stating neither the state or the utility can tell it how to run said power plant, is now raising rankles further.
The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) on July 15 unanimously adopted a final decision on a March 2025 equipment failure and brush fire at the East Windsor Solar One power plant. Its primary finding was that the utility, Eversource Energy, responded with “reasonable” maintenance practices. PURA decision also directs Eversource and NextEra to conduct a power quality study and equipment inspection at the site, with plans due to the Authority by Aug. 12, 2026.
In the public discussion of the ruling, David Arconti Jr., Vice Chairman of PURA, recognizes a regulatory gap though:
“(Nextera) are cited in their written exceptions that PURA has no authority over the construction of solar facilities and cannot regulate the ongoing operation of solar facilities and no statute specifically provides the authority with oversight or enforcement power regarding their regulation of solar facility construction, operation or safety…throughout this investigation, it has become clear there is a regulatory gap that would not allow this agency or another agency to properly investigate and issue remedial orders…this regulatory gap can be addressed by the legislature.”
In its decision, PURA noted that it could act on the utility, Eversource, through its regulatory powers. As well, PURA noted that Eversource, via various responsibilities spelt out in the power plant’s Interconnection Agreement, could influence certain work – however limited – at the site by the owner.
Even so, NextEra maintained that as a private power producer it retains the final say over how the facility is run.
As of today, there is no legislation in place , nor proposed, that would change this.
Truth is, the fire was quickly put out. However, that fire was neither the start, nor the end of issues on the site.
On March 11, 2025, Broad Brook Fire Department was called out for a report of a brush fire at a solar facility. The department said that upon arriving “crews found a 100 foot by 50 foot area of dried grass and shrubs aligning the fence to the solar field on fire, with the area rapidly spreading due to high winds.” Eversource noted over a thousand system trouble spots due to wind in prior days.
East Windsor First Selectman Jason Bowsza, told local news that the solar facility had received complaints for noise from nearby residents. As well, he contended, the facility had to be repaired multiple times by Eversource prior to the event. Bowsza submitted a written statement at a town meeting:
“(Nextera) have dismissed concerns raised for years about noise emitting from the exact spot where the fire broke out, and they have refused to rectify the issue. They were called out over the weekend to address sparking wires, and they failed to fix that issue, as well.”
PURA noted however, that the sparking wires were driven by the utility’s recloser, not NextEra equipment.
Due to other ongoing issues though, PURA ruling also required further site analysis to determine what the site’s technical issues are. The facility had been shut down for almost a year by NextEra itself prior to this ruling.
The facility, originally developed by Verogy and owned under East Windsor Solar One LLC, before it was purchased by NextEra, was approved for construction in 2021. The site is composed of three unique facilities, two of them 2 MWac, and one of them 0.975 MWac, which total 4.975 MWac. The combined facility houses 7.59 MW of solar modules.
Source: East Windsor zoning website, submitted by Verogy Energy
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