Plainfield Planning Board Continues Blue Wave Solar Hearing to March 11

PLAINFIELD — February 11, 2026 — Plainfield's Planning Board continued a public hearing on a proposed 6-megawatt solar and battery storage project after a contentious February 11 session raised unresolved questions about fire safety, noise, and community benefit. Blue Wave Energy, represented by Marco Adizio and civil engineer Melinda Costello of Weston and Sampson, is seeking a special permit to build a tracker-style solar array and two battery energy storage units — each approximately 1,750 kilowatt-hours — on a roughly 70-acre East Street parcel requiring about 23 acres of tree clearing. Abutters and residents challenged the applicants on emergency response planning for battery fires, nighttime noise testing, and whether the town's bylaws — which do not mention battery storage — can adequately govern the project; one board member said flatly, "I'm very uncomfortable with batteries." The hearing was continued to 7 p.m. on March 11, 2026, with the applicant required to submit written responses to board questions roughly one week in advance.