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Cooperstown Explores Community Solar Plan

Edition Date: June 5, 2014
By JIM KEVLIN

 

Talks have begun aimed at defining the Village of Cooperstown’s solar-energy future, which could range from panels on the 22 Main’s roof for municipal use to a solar farm that generates low-cost power for everyone.
“It’s exciting. And it’s challenging,” said Trustee Lou Allstadt, the retired Mobil executive vice president and clean-energy advocate who is leading the conversation. He is also a member of the Village Board’s Sustainability & Economic Development Committee.

Otsego Town Board member Julie Huntsman has been collaborating with meeting was held in the past few days that also included Mayor Jeff Katz and Town Supervisor Anne Geddes Atwell. Bob Eklund, a New Lisbon Town Board member, is participating as liaison to The Solutions Project, a national sustainable energy advocacy group.

“Maybe we can do something that is good for the municipalities and good for the residents,” Allstadt continued, “and at the same time do something to slow the pace of climate change.”

The news surfaced Monday, June 2, at a presentation, “Transitioning To A Renewable Energy Future,” sponsored by Sustainable Otsego at the county courthouse. Allstadt spoke, as did economist Jannette Barth and Jessica Azulay of the Syracuse-based Alliance for a Green Economy.

Village Trustee Lou Allstadt, in center with back to camera, told a Sustainable Otsego program this evening the village is discussing a "community solar program" with the town.  Speaking is economist Jannette Barth.  At right is Sustainable Otsego Moderator Adrian Kuzminski, who emceed.  (Jim Kevlin/allotsego.com)
Village Trustee Lou Allstadt, in center with back to camera, told a Sustainable Otsego program this evening the village is discussing a “community solar program” with the town. Speaking is economist Jannette Barth. At right is Sustainable Otsego Moderator Adrian Kuzminski, who emceed. (Jim Kevlin/allotsego.com)

In an interview the next day, Allstadt said discussions are preliminary, but if fruitful could result in some action within a year. He said there are a range of strategies that could be pursued, and he outlined two of them:

  • The village and/or town could make an agreement with a solar-power contractor for a set term, perhaps 20 years. The contractor would install a system on public buildings that would allow the municipality to benefit from lower-cost electricity and the contractor to make a profit.
  • In a community-wide undertaking, the village and/or town would make an agreement for a contractor to build a solar farm and the savings would be shared village- and/or townwide. The “farm” wouldn’t have to be in the community: There are “remote metering” systems that would feed the resulting power into the grid and allow residents to benefit from afar.

For now, though, there are questions to be answered. “It’s easy to say let’s do it,” said Allstadt. “You have to be careful about the details of how you do it and where you do it.

“The village and town are investigating what might be possible. That involves tossing a lot of ideas around and seeing if any of them can actually come through with something that makes sense.”

“It’s very cool stuff,” said Mayor Jeff Katz, who also attended the Sustainable Otsego program. The mayor said he’s been trying to “leverage the Cooperstown name,” to link it to innovative projects, and this fits into that approach.

“How big would depend on financing,” Katz said. “But there’s no reason, if the money works out and the deal works out … We already have a village water plant and a village sewer plant. The idea of a municipal electric plant is certainly not out of the norm.”

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