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Marietta committee hears solar panel pitch

MARIETTA — Marietta City Council’s Lands, Buildings and Parks Committee heard a proposal Wednesday to install solar panels on the roof of the city’s municipal court building this summer.

The proposal from Pickering Energy Solutions and the city’s engineering department outlines a renewable energy power purchasing agreement that would allow for approximately 260 solar panels to be installed on the roof of the city building at no installation cost to the city.

If council approves the agreement, the city would then purchase electricity for that building first from Pickering at a 10 percent discount rate from the current power rate of 5.75 cents per kilowatt hour through First Energy. It would then purchase any needed remaining power through the current supplier.

The estimated savings per year for utilizing the proposed purchasing agreement is at least $760 with projected increases in savings as traditional power rates rise.

“I’m very excited that we’re looking at this for the city,” said Councilwoman Kathy Downer, D-at large.

Councilmen Mike McCauley, D-2nd ward, and Steve Thomas, D-3rd ward, said they approved of utilizing a local business to support local labor on a city partnership project.

“There’s an advantage to utilizing a local company to do this work also in the future if repairs are ever needed,” said McCauley. “I’m all for it.”

City Engineer Joe Tucker added that few companies have interest in areas like Ohio where energy costs are so low in comparison to New England towns or in the West with rates triple that of Marietta. Leading the local renewable energy movement in Southeast Ohio would follow in the footsteps of state and national renewable energy initiatives, he said.

Council members Tom Vukovic, D-4th ward, and Cindy Oxender, R-at large, said they are in support of the agreement but asked that Tucker reach out to other renewable energy companies to see if any would be willing to submit more favorable proposals to the city.

If none come forward council will proceed with legislation to authorize the purchase agreement and installation.

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