Should Charlotte be Solar Powered?
by Nancy Wood,
August 11, 2011, page 5.....

The Selectboard pondered the question of solar power for town buildings at the Monday, August 8, meeting. Anne Bijur and Caleb Elder, representing AllEarth Renewables, gave an informal presentation on the company’s power purchase contract. The towns of Hinesburg and Starksboro have already contracted with AllEarth for installations of solar trackers to power municipal services and, in Starksboro, the school.

Bijur said 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.

The Selectboard felt rushed to consider a decision that would require the use of town-owned land for a minimum of 15 years. With the power purchase agreement, AllEarth would lease the land and install on it ten to 27 trackers that they would own and maintain for the period of the contract. The trackers would be grid-connected and net-metered.

The initial cost to the Town would be a $1,000 deposit, with monthly payments thereafter of 20 cents per kilowatt-hour for energy produced. This would be offset with payments to the Town by Green Mountain Power of 20 cents per kilowatt-hour for the electricity produced, as credits against the cost of power actually used by the Town.

The number of trackers would depend on the Town’s usage. According to Bijur, Charlotte’s Town Hall, Library and Senior Center used 74,000 kilowatt-hours over the last 12 months. At a current cost of 14 cents per kilowatt-hour, the cost to the Town is about $10,500 per year.

The board decided to continue the discussion, either at the next meeting (Monday night, August 15) or at the first meeting in September. Winslow Ladue will put together a list of Town owned lands that AllEarth can evaluate for suitability. The Energy Committee will review a more comprehensive proposal. A town-wide meeting would be held to measure public opinion if it is decided to pursue the issue this fall.

Other action at the August 8 meeting:

A conflict of interest policy to be signed by all town officers, appointees and employees was approved.

The following residents were appointed to the new Ferry Road Sidewalk Committee: Ann Owen, Jenny Cole, Patrice Machavern, Ellie Russell, Dave Marshall, Jim Donovan and Vince Crockenberg. The committee was charged with investigating installation of sidewalks along Ferry Road between Greenbush Road and Route 7, and to recommend a plan for vote at Town Meeting in 2012.

Clean-up of tires on the Knowles property using Chittenden Solid Waste District funds was approved.

Spending $750 for materials for a bridge on the Co-housing Trail, under construction now by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, was approved.

The date of the next meeting was changed from August 22 to August 15.