Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 3:38:49 PM - by Danny Vo

Massachusetts is one of many states that are planning to use federal stimulus dollars to develop its solar energy resources.

According to a report in the Boston Globe, the state will use $20 million from the stimulus bill to develop 16 megawatts of solar installations statewide. The locations of the planned arrays are expected to range from Logan International Airport to a couple of housing projects and a number of different water facilities.

Massachusetts environmental official Ian Bowles was quoted as saying that the news was "phase one of the solar big bang." Although the projects have not started, the newspaper says that some of the projects could be online in as little as six months.

The newspaper also notes that the state has set a goal of producing 250 megawatts of solar energy by 2017.

Looking ahead, the development of more solar resources in Massachusetts can help demonstrate that the technology can work for homeowners and others in colder-weather states. This is especially the case when considering that much of the media attention towards solar energy is currently focused on projects in the sunniest states such as California, Arizona and Nevada.