New England Solar Booms—But Erosion and Other Problems Pile Up (1)

Solar company Greenskies Renewable Energy LLC was thrilled when Connecticut chose the company to build a large solar project that would help the state meet its clean energy goal.

But three years on, the 18-megawatt project is still in the blueprint phase. Local environmental and neighbor groups fear the Waterford, Conn., proposal will lead to runoff and environmental degradation, and are urging regulators to reject it.

“These ill-conceived, quickly installed solar arrays are damaging our landscape,” according to Save the River-Save the Hills Inc., a group devoted to protecting the region’s Niantic River Estuary.

As states around the ...