Selectboard Reverses Decision, Reverts to Original Solar Site; Public Invited to Comment on November 21
by Nancy Wood,
November 3, 2011, page 1.....

The Selectboard has again changed the site of a proposed solar installation, this time reverting to the original proposal for placing 14 solar trackers in the field that is at the southwest corner of the intersection of Thompson’s Point and Flat Rock Roads. The Thompson’s Point sewage treatment system is in the same field.

The Town Plan calls for the use of alternative forms of energy in Charlotte, which is the motivation for using solar to replace a portion of electricity used by town buildings. A lease purchase arrangement with AllEarth Services, LLC (AES) is projected to provide solar power at minimal upfront cost to the Town, with potential savings of $14,000-$20,000 over the 15-year lease period, depending on the level of increases in utility rates.

Objections have been raised about siting the solar trackers at Thompson’s Point, which has historically been in agriculture, recreation and conservation uses, which are also supported by the Town Plan.

Selectboard chair Charles Russell said that the main reason for reverting to the original site, one of three that have been proposed at Thompson’s Point since August, is that AES said on October 31 that it is unworkable. There is no power pole nearby, and it is unclear if trenching can be done to install what is needed. Russell also said that further review, including visiting the site, indicated that the original site has less visual impact. He said that there is a view to the east from Flat Rock Road of Camel’s Hump that is more scenic than the view of the field and woods to the west. Trackers in the open field to the east would impact that view. He indicated that the Selectboard is considering how to screen the trackers in the proposed location. The sewage system in the same field is now almost completely screened with cedar trees.

An application for a Certificate of Public Good was filed with the Public Service Board (PSB) for the original site, and that is the Town’s formal application. An amended application was not filed, so the 30-day period for public comment to the PSB has expired. Instead the Selectboard is inviting the public to comment at the regular board meeting on November 21. The Planning Commission and Conservation Commission have both been asked to review the site and offer recommendations at the time, too.
Russell said, “We (the Selectboard), as the landowners, are trying to do what is responsible. The Town Plan should be directing us.”

Here is a summary of the solar proposal, discussions and Selectboard actions starting in early August 2011:

August 8 – First presentation to the Selectboard by AllEarth Services, LLC (AES) about a lease purchase proposal for solar trackers to be located in Charlotte to provide alternative energy for town buildings. They say that municipalities are not eligible for the federal solar energy credits available to residents and businesses, so this type of contract is an alternative way to take advantage of current incentives. However, the credits expire at the end of this year, so a speedy decision would be necessary.

August 26 – AES submits a formal proposal to the Town for a 60 kW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the installation of 14 grid-connected, net-metered AllSun Series 20 Trackers at a site on Thompson’s Point.
Details outlined include a $1,000 up-front fee. AES retains ownership of the installation for five years (or more if the PPA is extended for ten or 15 years). The Town pays a fixed rate of $.20 per kWh to AES for energy produced and receives approximately $0.20 per kWh credit from the utility, which is calculated by adding a solar credit of $0.061 to the utility rate.. The Town currently pays $0.1345 per kWh for electricity. The project is close to revenue neutral from day one and saves money as utility rates increase over the initial five year PPA term. AES provides all maintenance and service during the contract period.

After five years, the Town may purchase the trackers for 30% of original cost or renew the PPA with an adjusted cost per kWh. The current price of the equipment is $411,600, so the estimated buyout at the end of the initial five-year term is $123,480.

September 7 - The Charlotte Energy Committee reviews the AES proposal and unanimously agrees to recommend that the Selectboard proceed with the next steps toward leasing the trackers including pursuing an application to the Public Service Board (PSB) for a Certificate of Public Good (COPG), assuming there is written documentation that Green Mountain Power (GMP) will continue the approximately six cent solar credit for 15 years. Subsequent research determined that the $0.061 solar credit is guaranteed for ten years only.

September 12 – Selectboard discusses the AES proposal and a second proposal from Alteris Renewables, and votes 4-1 in favor of pursuing the COPG with the understanding that there will be further review of both proposals before a decision is made to accept either (or none). The Alteris proposal is for an ownership model, with the Town purchasing 14 stationary units. It is also a 60 kW project, but about 20% less power is projected to be produced. The purchase price is $333,000, which would be offset with a $100,000 solar incentive rebate from the State of Vermont.

September 16 – AES files the Town’s application to the PSB for a COPG. The proposed project site is at the corner of the field on the southwest corner of the intersection of Thompson’s Point and Flat Rock Roads, near an existing utility pole that can be used for the net metering of the project. The Thompon’s Point waste treatment system is located in the same field.

September 26 – The Selectboard is joined by a number of Thompson’s Point leaseholders at a visit to the proposed solar site and later at the regular meeting for a discussion of the site and project. A recurring theme in the comments of many was the stringent regulations that they are expected to follow to maintain the natural beauty at Thompson’s Point and the incongruity of the Town siting what was labeled an industrial facility in a scenic meadow in full view of the road. Selectboard Chair Charles Russell describes the reasons for rejecting other town-owned parcels: the Plouffe Lane (former town dump) site lacks power; Burns property (including the Flea Market) would require permission from the Vermont Land Trust and Preservation Vermont that continue to hold liens on the property; the Town Pound on Mutton Hill is wooded; trackers would not be appropriate in the view corridor at the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge along Route 7; the land behind the Town Hall is wet and may be too small.

October 6 - The Selectboard holds a special meeting to approve an amendment to the COPG application, changing the location of the solar installation to the field at the southwest corner of Lane’s Lane and Thompson’s Point Road, near the ruins of the old Poor Farm. About 30 people attend the October 6 meeting, raising concerns about the impact on leaseholders on Lanes Lane. There is less objection to a site in a different location about midway between the original and the Lane’s Lane site, so the Selectboard amends the original motion and votes 5-0 (with two members attending by telephone) to amend the COPG to specify a site that is on the south side of the northern-most mound of the sewer system, and to bring the issue of siting the solar trackers at that location for a vote at a special Town Meeting on November 10.

October 17 – The Selectboard, on the advice of the Town Attorney, rescinds the vote at the October 6 meeting for a special Town Meeting on November 10 and approves a motion to proceed with the project’s amended application to the PSB for a COPG at the compromise site identified on October 6. The town’s attorney advised the Selectboard that it was “not within the authority of the voters to decide” on this project, and that it was the Selectboard’s responsibility to make the decision for the Town as the landowner.

October 24 – The Selectboard discusses next steps for public input on the project, and decides that the Planning Commission (PC) and Conservation Commission (CC) would be asked for recommendations to be presented at the regular November 21 meeting of the board, and that the public would be invited to comment at that time.

November 1 – AES determines that the compromise site, which would require trenching and a new power pole, will not work and they cannot proceed with submitting an amended COPG. Selectboard chair Charles Russell determines, after informal discussion with other board members, that the Town will continue with the original application filed on September 16 for the site at the southwest corner of the intersection of Thompson’s Point and Flat Rock Roads. The Selectboard will make a decision on whether or not to sign the PPG with AES after hearing the recommendations from the PC and CC, and input from the public, on November 21.