LUDLOW, Mass. (WWLP) - The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) announced that it has been granted a $2.34 million payment from the IRS, which will be used to fund a 6.9 megawatt solar array in Ludlow. This site is part of a collaborative enterprise called the MMWEC/Master Sergeant Alexander Cotton Memorial Solar Project, which began development in 2021. The solar array was officially energized in 2023, and the funds from the IRS under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will give the MMWEC the ability to reduce years of service costs. Students begin at new Westfield River Elementary School The Cotton Solar Project has six municipal utilities as participants, located in Boylston, Ipswich, Mansfield, Marblehead, Peabody and Wakefield. Tax professionals worked alongside the MMWEC to complete all required documentation before filing their tax return in November 2024, and they received the direct payment for the project in mid-December. “We are incredibly proud of how the Cotton Solar Project continues to demonstrate the strength and benefits of public power,” MMWEC Treasurer Haley Pedruczny said. “This direct payment under the Inflation Reduction Act not only boosts the project’s success, but also ensures that our Project Participants’ communities will continue to benefit from affordable, sustainable energy. We are committed to making the most of these funds to further reduce costs for our Cotton Solar Project Participants, and this is just one more example of how public power can deliver lasting positive impacts.” For more information, visit mmwec.org. Local News Headlines Cold weather may cause battery and tire issues Revenge porn law implemented in West Springfield Family homelessness on the rise in Massachusetts Springfield City Council sets goals for 2025 legislative year WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.