Local utilities joining the solar business

Decatur: Local utilities are diving into the solar scene after the First Solar plant opened. But here’s the catch: TVA limits them to just 5% of their power from solar.

Decatur Utilities decided against building their own solar farm. Instead, they’re joining forces with Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Cooperative, whose solar farm is set to launch in January.

Recently, Decatur Utilities approved a partnership to build a solar farm near Huntsville. DU’s General Manager, Ray Hardin, explained that they opted out of their own solar project for a couple of reasons.

First off, TVA requires solar farms to be in DU’s service area and connected to their grid. Unfortunately, the right land just isn’t available. Plus, Hardin mentioned that it wouldn’t be cost-effective for them.

So, they’re joining a TVA program called “Flexibility 2.0.” This allows them to team up with other utilities in North Alabama to pool their resources.

Hardin said they’re one of about 10 utilities in this program, dedicating their 5% capacity, which is around 17.5 megawatts. They’re currently finalizing agreements to submit to TVA for approval.

The plan is to connect the solar farm to DU’s grid by late 2026 or early 2027. The best part? The project won’t cost the utilities anything upfront. The developer will handle the investment, and DU will sign a 30-year contract to buy their share of the power.

Hardin is optimistic, saying they expect the costs to be lower than what they currently pay TVA.

Meanwhile, in Trinity, just west of the Morgan-Lawrence county line, a new 7-acre solar farm is on track to start operating soon. This project is a collaboration between Joe Wheeler and Peak Solarworks LLC.

The solar farm is located near the new First Solar manufacturing facility. Joe Wheeler’s spokesman, Michael Cornelison, shared that they’re leasing the land around the Mount Home substation for this project.

They’ve got a solid deal with Peak, which is using First Solar Series 7 panels for the installation. Joe Wheeler will buy power from this new facility for 20 years at a rate lower than what they get from TVA.

This solar farm will generate over 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, enough to power about 125 to 150 homes. Joe Wheeler serves around 40,000 members in Lawrence and Morgan counties.

Hardin knows about the solar farm in Lawrence County but believes DU will benefit more from the larger Huntsville project. He’s excited about the potential savings from a bigger installation.

This collaboration is a win-win for everyone involved, and it’s great to see local utilities working together for a greener future.