Sandhills Energy co-hosted groundbreaking ceremonies with the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) for local solar projects on Sept. 25 for the Cities of Indianola and Waverly in Iowa.
The projects are among 15 solar projects being installed for 16 communities served wholesale power supply by MEAN. The projects are expected to be completed in phases in 2024 and 2025. Two other Iowa cities, Sergeant Bluff and Denver, are participants of the community solar project initiative with solar installations scheduled for 2025.
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held earlier in Alliance and Sidney, Nebraska and a future groundbreaking ceremony is being planned in Colorado.
“As (Waverly Utilities) moves to diversify its power mix, solar is an important component,” said WU General Manager Curt Atkins. “With the decommissioning of our hydro units in 2022, the new solar array will more than replace what the hydros produced.”
“Indianola Municipal Utilities (IMU) is not just generating reliable electricity for years to come, we’re creating a cleaner, greener future for our community, our kids, and their kids, too,” said IMU General Manager Chris DesPlanques.
The overall combined energy capacity output of the 15 projects is 21.3 megawatts. Each participating community is contracting for energy output for their respective projects through power purchase agreements with Sandhills Energy.
In addition to facilitating the community solar projects, MEAN as an organization also approved power purchase agreements with Sandhills Energy for 12.7 megawatts of energy at four of the community solar project sites: Alliance, Gering and Sidney in Nebraska and Yuma, Colo.