AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – The Town of Amherst will be holding in-person and virtual public events to get input from the community on solar development.

The solar assessment project will include gathering residents’ thoughts, opinions, and values regarding solar development, creating a map of where solar projects could be placed, and creating a final report to help the town make decisions on possible projects.

The Town has contracted GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) to provide technical support. Amherst residents can learn more about the project, meetings, and fill out a survey at the Amherst Solar Assessment Project webpage.

Sustainability Director Stephanie Ciccarello said “the solar assessment mapping tool will prove to be an extremely useful source of information for municipal decision makers, property owners and businesses. We are grateful to the team at GZA for their expertise and skill in developing this resource for the town.” 

“It’s incredibly important that the Town have these resources available as we move Amherst towards its carbon reduction goals”, added Town Manager Paul Bockelman.

The first meeting will be a virtual informational presentation on Monday, March 13 at 7 p.m. On Saturday, March 18th from noon to 2 p.m. and on Thursday, March 23rd from 6-8 p.m., an interactive workshop will be held in the Woodbury Room of the Jones Library.  Stations will be set up around the room with activities allowing residents to share their opinions about local solar development.