EAST LYME — A November 5 hearing will examine the ownership and regulatory compliance of the existing 5-megawatt solar facility on Grassy Hill Road and Walnut Hill Road.
The Connecticut Siting Council’s September 4 notice sets a 2 p.m. remote evidentiary hearing on conditions 1(a) and 8 of its May 17, 2013 ruling. The proceeding is an enforcement case involving an operating facility, rather than a newly submitted solar-development application.
Records show neighboring residents raised noise concerns in June. The Council sought information about equipment changes and, in its July 7 enforcement letter, said it had not received a response by its June 30 deadline. The letter cited a development-plan condition and warned of a $1,000 daily fine after its specified response period. The reviewed documents do not establish what penalties have actually been collected.
A July 28 Council letter then questioned ownership after GRE’s attorney said the project had been sold in 2019. In the company response posted September 3, MN8 says GRE 314 East Lyme LLC remains the direct facility owner and is an indirect MN8 subsidiary. It distinguishes a change in parent-company equity ownership from a transfer of the project or ruling and disputes a violation of condition 8.
MN8 also says a replacement inverter was installed in 2025 to address reliability problems and argues that it was permitted maintenance involving a one-for-one replacement. Its filing disputes the reported noise problem and says crews found the expected low hum during visits. These are the company’s claims, not findings from the upcoming hearing.
For neighbors, the proceeding concerns responsibility for responding to complaints and whether equipment and ownership requirements were followed. The reviewed Council docket does not contain a final decision in the enforcement matter.
Testimony, exhibits and requests for party or intervenor status are due October 29 under the hearing notice. The public may listen to the 2 p.m. evidentiary session, but the town’s access instructions say public comments will not be taken during that session. The official notice provides separate written-statement procedures and the remote-access link.