The last phase of local community solar projects facilitated by the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) in a collaborative effort with Omaha, Neb.-based Sandhills Energy went online in December.
As part of the activities, ribbon cutting ceremonies were held in December in the Colorado communities of Fort Morgan and Delta and Indianola, Iowa. The remaining projects were recently completed in Yuma, Colo., and the Iowa communities of Waverly and Sergeant Bluff.
“Fort Morgan is proud to be part of this growing network of communities investing in renewable, reliable energy,” said City of Fort Morgan City Manager Brent Nation. “Our city has a long history of innovation—from the early irrigation reservoirs to adopting electric streetlights in 1906—and this solar project continues that legacy. It will help stabilize long-term energy costs, create local jobs, and strengthen Fort Morgan’s commitment to responsible growth and sustainability.”
The projects have a combined nameplate capacity of 21 megawatts and will provide solar energy to communities served wholesale power supply by MEAN.
In addition to facilitating the community solar projects, MEAN as an organization also approved power purchase agreements with Sandhills Energy for 19.7 megawatts of energy at five of the community solar project sites: Alliance, Gering and Sidney in Nebraska and Fort Morgan and Yuma in Colorado.
MEAN awarded a joint Request for Proposal to Sandhills Energy in 2021 on behalf of its interested wholesale power participant communities. Each participating community is contracting for energy output for their respective projects through power purchase agreements with Sandhills Energy.
By issuing a joint-RFP on behalf of participating communities, lower costs are achieved through economies of scale. The energy produced by each community’s solar project will be used to offset a portion of their wholesale power supply through MEAN. The projects align with MEAN’s 2050 carbon neutral vision, which was approved in 2020 by the MEAN Board of Directors.
“This installation strengthens Delta’s local grid and enhances our ability to manage energy costs for customers,” said City of Delta Municipal Light and Power Manager Adam Suppes. “The project was developed with Delta’s specific needs in mind, supporting our goal to provide reliable, sustainable power and long-term value to our residents. The facility also reflects Delta’s commitment to take control of our energy future.”
MEAN is one of four organizations that make up the NMPP Energy coalition. MEAN is a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier that provides wholesale electricity and related services to 69 participating communities in four states.
Among the services MEAN provides to its participating communities include wholesale electric supply, electric distribution services, energy audits, energy efficiency programs, and distributed generation assistance.
