High winds in October and March blew down many solar panels in a field in Shaftsbury, Vt., and regulators are now looking into the potential environmental impact of the damaged panels.

This is one of the first times in Vermont that large swaths of damaged panels containing lead and silver have raised the specter of environmental contamination and prompted the state to examine the issue. In this case, concerns grew partly because the fallen panels weren’t immediately cleaned up, state officials said in a recent filing, causing regulators to investigate potential environmental impacts.

In a recent filing to the Public Utility Commission, an Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets staff attorney wrote that the agency is looking into options for testing the soil to determine if contamination is a concern.

“In general, it is important to protect agricultural soils,” an agency spokesman, Trevor Audet, wrote in a statement. “We are not aware of broken solar panels being a common issue in Vermont, but our knowledge is imperfect under the current reporting framework and we are working to learn more about any potential impacts.”

The damaged panels have caught the attention of environmentalists in the area. Among what they are seeking is pre-testing of soil near solar developments, so there will be a baseline to measure against for possible contamination.

Shaftsbury resident and farmer Jesse McDougall wrote to the Public Utility Commission expressing concern about whether Vermont’s acidic, low pH rain, winter snowmelt and spring showers could compound environmental contamination onsite. McDougall also alleged there were two fires after the October blowdown event.

“I want to see the right steps taken,” McDougall said in an interview. “There were hundreds of panels down, many of them smashed and broken, and on the ground for six months through a Vermont winter and two giant wind events and two fires.”

The solar array is near another controversial planned solar site in Shaftsbury approved by the commission last October, though neighbors to the project appealed the decision to the Vermont Supreme Court.

Approved by the Public Utility Commission in 2022, the broken solar array, called ER Waite Cemetery Solar LLC, is licensed for 2.2 megawatts, the largest energy development allowed under a state program that facilitates long-term contracts and sets rates for renewable energy developments in Vermont.

Encore Renewable Energy planned and received a permit for the solar project, which Fusion Renewable then purchased. Fusion Renewable is now responsible for remediation at the site, wrote Jeffrey Polubinski, attorney for ER Waite Cemetery Solar.

The owner said the delay in site cleanup was due to the lag time in insurance approval. Then Fusion Renewable needed to pause any project work until April due to a deer wintering area near the site, according to a May 8 filing by the Department of Public Service.

The regulatory filing raised questions about work on the site, and the Department of Public Service filing included requests for information about the damage and remediation to see if there is more work to be done, if the owner violated terms of the contract or if there were impacts to rate payers.

An Agency of Natural Resources filing to the commission stated that the owner must dispose of panels as hazardous materials, given the silver and lead inside them.

In addition, the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets said it is investigating options for agricultural soil testing in areas the state has designated as important farmland, according to a recent filing to the commission. In his statement, Audet wrote that the remediation method will depend on the scope and type of potential contamination found.

Meanwhile, some research on the environmental impact of damaged solar panels says that the impacts are likely to be minimal, but stronger standards and practices for solar developments may be necessary.

Annick Anctil, a Michigan State University civil and environmental engineering professor, said in an interview that pre-testing soil before construction can help determine whether broken solar panels have caused increased levels of heavy metals in the soil.

Annette Smith, executive director of Vermonters for a Clean Environment, said that, in addition to pre-testing soil, she wants more state-level tracking of solar array failures to prevent this type of situation from happening in the future.

“We could have all of the solar projects in Vermont fail, and I don’t know that there would be any ramifications,” Smith said.

For the solar owner’s part, Polubinski wrote that the owner is working with the state to dispose of the solar panels, and they plan to detail the damage, the current and future remediation of impacts from the wind damage and subsequent fires.

Peter Sterling, executive director of the trade association Renewable Energy Vermont, maintains that the state has more than 100 solar arrays and that solar array failures are rare. Still, Sterling said the state’s examination of the issue shows “the process is working, which is good.”

This story was republished with permission from VtDigger, which offers its reporting at no cost to local news organizations through its Community News Sharing Project. To learn more, visit vtdigger.org/community-news-sharing-project.

It’s been a stormy start to the weekend, and we’re not even close to done just yet!

As a storm moves south through New England, we’ll have more rain, wind and March-like temperatures. Let’s start with the timing and the rain. Showers and some heavy rain will come in waves from north to south, and leave in the same direction. That means, the further north you live, the earlier you saw the rain this morning, but the sooner you’ll see the rain leave this afternoon.

In fact, folks in areas like Worcester County could even see some sunshine before sunset.

On the flip side, if you’re on the South Shore, South Coast, Cape & Islands, the rain takes longer to reach you, but won’t be gone until 3-5 PM or so, and the clouds will take longer to break as well. 

Now for the wind. We’ve already seen gusts in the 20s, 30s & 40s. But with the strength of this storm, we could see more up to 55 mph for most of the coast, and 65 mph for the Cape and Nantucket.

For that reason, we have a Wind Advisory and a High Wind Warning until 8 PM this evening. We could even see a few power outages because with the potential of winds blowing weak tree limbs onto power lines. 

Finally, the chill. Temperatures early this morning were largely in the low to mid 50s. Not the worst start for this time of year.

But as the cold air associated with this storm kicks in, temperatures go down instead of up. We’ll be in the 40s for most of the afternoon. 

If there’s a bright side to this forecast, it’s that the storm is gone and clouds clear in time for us to see the only blue moon of 2026! It will rise tonight, and peak illumination will be at 4:45 AM tomorrow morning! It will be a micromoon, meaning it’ll look smaller than normal, as the moon is at or near apogee, its farthest point in orbit from the earth. 

On the note of tomorrow morning… it’ll be beautiful! It’ll be a cold start with temps in the 40s. However, we’ll have some beautiful sunshine as well, and by the afternoon, temperatures will reach the mid to upper 60s and low 70s– not far from normal! That said, clouds increase in the afternoon and we’re keeping an eye out for a few spotty showers as well. 

We’ll keep a few showers around on Monday, though they’ll stay spotty. Temperatures will be cooler as a front comes through with highs in the low 60s. We’ll keep a shower around on Tuesday, with a mix of clouds and sun and a shower or two remaining. 

The weather finally takes a turn on Wednesday! We’ll be mostly to partly sunny, and the chance of a shower is incredibly slim. Highs will be in the upper 60s. Thursday is mostly sunny and even warmer, with highs in the mid to upper 70s!

Nothing seemed to go in Roman Wilson’s favor while Mike Tomlin led the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whether it was battling through an injury-filled rookie season or struggling to find his footing in his second year, Wilson now finds himself on the roster bubble. He understands this could be his final opportunity to establish himself in Pittsburgh, and a coaching change may have given him a boost.

With Mike McCarthy now serving as head coach of the Steelers, Wilson has a fresh opportunity to reset his trajectory.

Any issues that may have lingered under Tomlin are now in the past. While it is unclear if the young playmaker will immediately build chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, a new coaching staff brings the potential for change. According to McCarthy, Wilson was also one of the first players to reach out after the hiring, which could signal a strong level of motivation moving forward.

“He was one of the first men to reach out. Just clearly ask what the expectation was of him, how I view him.” McCarthy said. “How I saw him fitting in as it rolls. He’s had a great offseason.”

Nothing will be handed to Roman Wilson, as Pittsburgh has completely overhauled its wide receiver group this offseason. DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., and Germie Bernard all appear set for significant roles on offense, which could leave Wilson in a difficult position. However, if he proves during training camp that he deserves playing time, McCarthy will not overlook his performance.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Roman Wilson might be turning a corner with HC Mike McCarthy

It will be up to Roman Wilson to prove he can be a starting caliber receiver throughout the preseason. If he fails to secure the fourth spot on the depth chart or better, his career could enter a critical stage. Time is quickly running out, but his level of talent is still clear. The hope is that with McCarthy as an offensive-minded head coach, Wilson will be in a better position to succeed.

Reaching a high level this season will not come easily for Wilson.

At times last year, it appeared that Aaron Rodgers did not look his way often in the passing game. There could be some tension between the two, which may have contributed to the Steelers bringing in multiple veteran receivers late last season. If that disconnect still exists, it could become another obstacle for Wilson as he tries to earn Rodgers’ trust and secure a larger role in the offense.

With McCarthy leading the coaching staff, he will look to unlock the full potential of Pittsburgh’s offense. Wilson could play an important role in helping address the unit’s ongoing struggles. Despite the talent ahead of him on the depth chart, his opportunity could grow significantly this season. He will need to earn his place, but there is a clear path for him to succeed.

Outside of Metcalf, Pittman Jr., and Bernard, Wilson should still have an opportunity to make plays this season.

If he is unable to carve out a role during the preseason, he could find himself on his way off the roster sooner than expected. However, the positive remarks from McCarthy should give him a boost of confidence entering what is shaping up to be a make-or-break campaign. This is his final opportunity to prove himself in Pittsburgh.