The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is leasing parts of Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth to a solar developer.  Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald

A pair of Catholic church cemeteries in South Portland and Yarmouth could be the first in Maine to produce solar energy for faith-based organizations, several years after other churches discussed the idea, only to abandon it as unworkable. 

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland has signed lease option agreements with New Leaf Energy Inc. of Lowell, Massachusetts, to develop portions of Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth and Calvary Cemetery in South Portland for solar fields, diocese spokeswoman Molly DiLorenzo said in an email. Proceeds from the leases would be directed to a fund to maintain and improve the cemeteries “for decades to come,” she said.

It’s unclear how much money the diocese will bring in through the arrangement. South Portland and Yarmouth planning documents do not include financial information and DiLorenzo did not respond to an email seeking more details about the projects. Land leases between private groups in Maine are not public records.  

The proposals are before local planners. The South Portland plan drew complaints from residents about tree-cutting. Several Yarmouth residents said a solar array would disturb cemetery visitors and could reduce nearby property values.

Representatives of New Leaf Energy said the solar panels at the Yarmouth site would not be visible to residents or visitors to the cemetery. The developers estimate the solar project would generate 3 million kilowatt-hours a year, enough to power about 760 homes, and would be connected to the Central Maine Power Co. grid. It has targeted 2027 for the start of operations.

The South Portland proposal is for a commercial solar energy system that is targeted for completion in the fall of 2026. It, too, would be connected to the CMP grid and generate about 3.8 million kWh annually, enough to power 977 homes.

Greg Rosshirt, project developer at New Leaf Energy, said the renewable energy development company uses a computer-based geographic mapping system to determine land that’s “most fitting” for a solar project based on the proximity to certain power lines and substations, how much acreage is available, flat topography and other factors.

“It happened to be that the Roman Catholic Diocese owns property that fits that criteria, so we reached out to them,” he wrote in an email.

The two potential solar sites are likely the only ones on church property in Maine. Eliza Donoghue, executive director of Maine Renewable Energy Association, said she’s not aware of other church properties in Maine that are used for solar arrays.

Robert Stoddard, a member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Cape Elizabeth, said about 30 representatives of several denominations met five or six years ago to explore ways to possibly launch a solar energy project. They hoped a church with a “substantial piece of land” would be available for a solar array.

New Leaf Energy Inc. said solar panels it plans to install at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth would not be visible to residents or visitors to the cemetery. Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald

He and others, through the Maine Council of Churches, encouraged churches to work with solar energy companies and participate in community solar farms. They eventually realized it would be “extremely difficult for churches across denominations to figure out a business structure to own a solar farm,” Stoddard said.

The meeting of church representatives failed to spark sufficient interest in working with solar developers. “It petered out,” he said. Many churches have “fairly diffuse governing structures” that make it difficult to coordinate an energy strategy, he said.

That’s not an issue for the diocese because it is not collaborating with other churches. The Portland diocese, which covers all of Maine, has 48 parishes and several schools across the state.

To faith-based organizations, zero-carbon energy is key to protecting nature.

“It is about environmental stewardship and churches looking after their own footprint,” Stoddard said.

“It is also about money. Power from solar farms is cheaper than power from the grid.”

Two potential solar sites, including one at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth, would likely be the only ones on church property in Maine if they come online in 2027 as planned. Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald

Once installed, solar power systems generate electricity at little cost, according to Efficiency Maine Trust, the state’s quasi-public agency that administers energy efficiency programs. And because most of the costs of a solar power system are related to installation, solar electricity is not exposed to price swings of natural gas that’s the dominant source of energy generation in New England.

Public money became available since the group of church representatives gathered around 2019. The Inflation Reduction Act that Congress and former President Joe Biden enacted in 2022 provides a “direct pay option” for federal reimbursement to churches for up to 30% of solar installation costs.

In addition, churches that install solar in underserved or low-income communities may qualify for extra financial help.

Daniel McIntyre, president and owner of Tenco Solar, which designs and installs solar panels, said the IRA has powered rooftop solar installations for houses of worship and other nonprofits. They account for between 15% and 20% of Tenco’s business, up from zero three years ago, he said.

“It didn’t make sense without the incentive,” McIntyre said.

The Roman Catholic Diocese is leasing parts of Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth to a solar developer. Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald

His Anaheim, California, business focuses on rooftop solar rather than solar arrays because it’s more cost-effective, he said. Carport rooftops are particularly good sites for solar panels because they are otherwise under-utilized, McIntyre said.

Even rooftop solar panels are a challenge for Maine churches, said Stoddard, the member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Cape Elizabeth. Historic designations with decorative roofs, for example, could preclude solar installations, he said.

And other houses of worship that are too close to a body of water would be unsuitable for rooftop solar because of the concentration of salt from the sea that would damage the panels, Stoddard said.

“There are a lot of questions,” he said.