Some environmentalists worry Bowdoin College’s new solar array will harm rare grassland The 20-acre, 18,000-panel solar array will help offset the college's energy consumption, but the land is situated on a rare, "critically imperiled" grassland that environmentalists worry will be harmed by the project. Hannah LaClaire / The Times Record BRUNSWICK — Bowdoin College’s plans for a 20-acre solar array at Brunswick Landing are another step toward long-term sustainability for the college, but some local environmentalists are concerned that the array will put the health of a rare “critically imperiled” sandplain grassland further at risk. Planning board officials approved the project last week in a 5-2 vote. Members Jane Arbuckle and Robert Burgess voted against, citing concerns that the impact on plant habitat made the project incompatible with the town ordinance.