Damakant Jayshi
Wausau’s Solar Array Task Force is holding a public information presentation on Wednesday to discuss a proposed array for the water utility and the city.
According to the meeting documents, a question-and-answer session with attendees will follow the presentation at 6.30 p.m. at Northcentral Technical College, 1000 Campus Dr., Wausau. The event will be held in Room A168.
The task force is chaired by Dist. 11 Alder Chad Henke. Other members are Paul Svetlik (vice chair), Dist. 4 county Supervisor John Robinson, Susan Woods and Jay Coldwell.
Wednesday’s discussion will focus on the size and location of the proposed array and cost differences between six potential options, along with funding for the project. The options range in cost from $800,000 for a 0.29MW rooftop array to $7.5 million for a 1.52 MW configuration.
The construction of solar generated power is part of Wausau’s strategic plan and the city’s adopted resolution to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy security, according to the task force document. The water utility hopes that power generated by the solar array will cover for 40% of the electricity used by the drinking water plant. “Rate payers of the utility pay for the infrastructure and operation & maintenance on these initiatives,” the document says.
The intention to install a solar array close to the drinking water plant has been in discussion for at least three years. A proposed site on Burek Avenue drew concerns from the public regarding the size, costs and aesthetics of the solar panels so close to their neighborhood.
The city is looking to have an approximately 1 MW size array. There is an expectation that over generation of power will be sold back to Wisconsin Power Service, the utility company. A consultant hired to study the project, Clark Dietz, said the location needs to be close to the water plant. The consultant also said the property prices of the neighborhood where such solar array have been installed have seen an increase in value.
Solar energy is considered environment-friendly and the federal government has been promoting it, among other renewable energy options. The Office of the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy of the U.S. Dept. of Energy, cities case studies of cities that have benefited by installing solar energy. The list includes Madison along with Philadelphia, Santa Fe, Edina, Minn. and other locations.
Critics say they are opposed to clean energy because it could harm the fossil fuel industry and impact jobs. Conservationists have also opposed seeing large arrays in their communities, citing the vanishing green fields where such massive panels are installed and damage to ecological balance.
The Solar Array Task Force says its goal is to make a recommendation for the Wausau City Council and the water utility. Since it is an advisory body, its recommendation is not binding.
