Whitman Economic Development Committee votes to pursue solar and battery storage bylaws

WHITMAN — January 15, 2026 — Whitman's Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to pursue solar and battery energy storage bylaws, eyeing pilot-agreement revenue of up to $1.5 million per year. The four-member quorum — Justin Evans, John Galvin, Steve Egan, and Richard Bloss — backed a motion to refer Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources model bylaws to the Select Board for assignment to the bylaw study committee and planning board. Evans described a prior Auburn Street battery storage proposal that had offered the town a pilot payment of roughly $1 million to $1.5 million annually over 20 years before the developer chose another site. The committee noted Whitman currently has no explicit solar or battery zoning and flagged a 4.1-megawatt West Bridgewater solar facility whose 25-year pilot averages only $21,000 per year as evidence that batteries represent a far more lucrative opportunity — Chelsea's 250-megawatt battery installation generates $1.5 million a year under a 20-year pilot.