POLAND, ME — Maine residents and businesses are now saving on their electric costs ahead of Maine’s drastic electric supply rate increases by tapping into the solar energy produced by the Peppertree Solar Farm in Poland, ME. As of late-January 2022, the Community Solar farm is actively producing energy on behalf of hundreds of residents and businesses, including Foundation Brewing in Portland, who are subscribed through Ampion Renewable Energy.

“We just learned that our assigned solar farm is now live, and we are excited to start seeing electricity credits on our bills,” said Tina Bonney, Business Manager of Foundation Brewing in Portland. “More so, we are proud to be doing our small part in moving towards a more sustainable climate future. We are excited to be part of this first wave of Community Solar farms in Maine, and know that our brewery is supporting a renewable energy source through Ampion.”

Located off of Lewiston Junction Road in Poland, the Peppertree Solar Farm has a capacity of 7.8 million kilowatt hours (kWh), and an annual energy production equivalent to taking nearly 1,200 cars off the road for a year, or planting 6,744 acres of forest. Peppertree works in conjunction with Ampion, a company founded in Bar Harbor in 2014 that connects Maine residents, businesses, and municipalities to local renewable energy projects.

Upon subscription, Ampion matches utility customers to a portion of the solar farm that aligns with the size of their property. That energy completely - or very nearly - offsets the energy generation charges on their personal utility bills each month. In Maine, the subscriber is billed at a fixed 15% discount for their share of the solar farm’s energy production, which appears on their electric bill in the form of credits or kilowatt-hour (kWh) reductions.

“We are thrilled to have this Community Solar project begin producing clean energy on behalf of Maine subscribers,” said Nate Owen, CEO of Ampion and Maine native. “Particularly in this environment of rising electricity rates, we’re glad to help Maine residents and businesses access clean energy and save money on their electric bills. Ampion is proud to support Maine’s sustainability goals and the clean energy economy. We look forward to providing environmentally-friendly energy and meaningful electric bill savings to Mainers for years to come.”

About Ampion: Ampion offers the easiest way to join the clean energy movement through Community Solar. As a Public Benefit Corporation, Ampion believes in giving people the power to make homes, businesses and communities more sustainable and prosperous. By connecting residents and businesses to local solar farms, Ampion boosts sustainability in communities and supports local economies.