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Friday, March 29, 2024

Soltas Energy paying $330K in Mass. settlement

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BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said April 9 week that Soltas Energy Corp. has agreed to pay $330,000 over allegations it caused four central Massachusetts towns and nonprofits to lose thousands of dollars in energy savings.

“We allege this solar energy company failed to honor agreements with local towns and nonprofits that would have provided significant energy savings, which is especially important as communities face rising electricity prices,” Healey said. “This settlement will provide restitution and hold this developer responsible for any unfair practices.”

The assurance of discontinuance, filed April 9 in Suffolk Superior Court, resolves allegations that Solta’s successful bid to sell another municipality net metering credits it had already allocated to Petersham, Warwick, the Athol Young Men’s Christian Association and Athol Memorial Hospital and its decision to breach its pre-existing power purchase agreements with those towns and nonprofits violated the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act and False Claims Act.

Through net metering, customers can offset their electric bill by using credits attained by generating solar power. The town and entities had agreed to purchase net metering credits generated at Soltas’ Athol-based solar facility.

Under the terms of the settlement, Soltas will pay $330,000, including damages and restitution occurring from lost energy savings, in the amounts of $175,000 to Athol Memorial Hospital, $38,000 to the Athol YMCA, $40,000 to Petersham, $22,000 to Warwick and $55,000 to the Commonwealth. 

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