Wahoo, Nebraska, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The City of Wahoo Utilities solar project has been energized, and the proceeds of the contracted land lease will be donated to fund the Wahoo Public Library.
When Wahoo Utilities started to develop a solar project that could supply renewable energy, they knew a location close to a substation would be ideal. After the initial selected site fell through, Wahoo Utilities invited development partner GenPro Energy Solutions to speak to area business leaders at a monthly economic development meeting. It was here that member Denise Lawver stepped up with an offer of adjacent land. Ten acres off County Road L would be leased to the solar project, and the lease payments would go to a Trust benefiting the Wahoo Public Library, where Denise is the Director.
"The 2 MW Solar project started from our Board of Public Works' interest, after seeing many throughout the state. The main benefit of this project and partnership was affordable power very closely priced to what we buy our blended power from the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)," said Ryan Hurst, General Manager of Wahoo Utilities. "The 30-year contract on this Purchase Power Agreement was a way to hedge a portion of our power portfolio affordability for the next 30 years."
The project began development in late 2020 and was approved for construction in July 2022. A partnership between GenPro Energy Solutions, Sol Systems, Mesner Development, and Wahoo Utilities, it has 6,534 solar panels and a total capacity of 2MW-ac, which is enough to power approximately 350 homes a year. The project and hydroelectric power from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), in combination with the nuclear and other clean energy resources of the NPPD, allow Wahoo Utilities to have a balanced electric generation mix between carbon free and traditional energy resources.
"We know this is a new community asset for economic development, as many companies want to have power provided to them from local carbon-free sources. Add in the new Trust benefiting the Library Foundation, it is an absolute win-win," Hurst explained. "All around this is a great partnership and we are excited to work with Sol Systems and GenPro for many years to come."
"I spoke up after that meeting because Mike (her husband) and I have supported this community in many ways and thought it was good for the city to explore alternative energy sources," said Denise Lawver. "I have full confidence that Wahoo Utilities will do what is best for the community long-term." She explained that the land was part of a farm originally owned by Flora K. Ewart, a former librarian and member of the Wahoo Library Board, and thus thought it fitting that the Library end up being the final beneficiary of the entire property.
A ribbon cutting at the site will be followed by a community gathering at the Wahoo Public Library on February 13th at 10 a.m. Ribbon-cutting attendees will include Wahoo Mayor Jerry Johnson, Board of Public Works members, and others who played a crucial role in making the project a reality.
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About GenPro
GenPro Energy Solutions has been at the forefront of the solar industry in the Great Plains, tackling undeveloped markets such as Nebraska and South Dakota to create distributed generation solutions that make financial sense to investors and, most importantly, to the communities where our projects are located. Named the #1 solar contractor in Nebraska for the 2023 Solar Power World's Top Contractors list, GenPro's project spans from Scottsbluff to Fremont. In 2022, GenPro Energy Solutions spun off our development arm as a newly formed LLC in partnership with The Jim Thares Revocable Trust.
About Sol Systems
Sol Systems is a leading national renewable energy firm with an established reputation for integrity and reliability across its development, infrastructure, and environmental commodity businesses. Sol is operating and building over 2 GW of solar projects valued at over $2 billion for Fortune 100 companies, municipalities, counties, utilities, universities, and schools and provides environmental commodity portfolio management services to more than 50,000 customers across the US. The company was founded in 2008, is based in Washington, D.C., and is led by its founder. Sol Systems works with institutional clients, corporate partners, and foundations to create a more sustainable future we can all believe in. For more information, visit https://www.solsystems.com/.
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