Sandwich mayor gets OK to negotiate power purchase pact for waste water treatment plant solar arrays

The Sandwich City Council authorized Mayor Rich Robinson Monday, Jan. 25, to sign a letter of intent to negotiate an electric power purchase agreement with Keystone Power Holdings for a proposed solar energy array system that would be installed at the city’s waste water treatment plant.

As approved by the council, Robinson and city staff will have a minimum period of 180 days to negotiate the agreement.

Keystone Power Holdings has proposed to install the solar arrays on the east side of the creek, between the creek and the plant’s excess flow ponds.

City Engineer/Public Works Director Tom Horak explained that the first-year energy savings for the city from the arrays would be 9% less than the current rate with a cumulative savings just a few thousand dollars shy of $375,000. He also noted, however, that because the proposed array location is one where water frequently saturates the soil and could potentially flood during heavy rains, it may not be feasible. This agreement will allow Keystone to spend time determining if the proposed location is workable.

In other business Monday, council agreed to sign an engineering services agreement with Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. for improvements on Main Street, including the Center Street to 2nd Street along with sidewalks as well as street light replacements in an amount not to exceed $50,115.

None of the aldermen had reports to share during the meeting, although Robinson provided a brief update concerning the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Both DeKalb County and Kendall County have set up on their websites where you can contact them to find out where you are and what phase of being eligible for the shot,” he said. “You can sign up for an email basically at either place and get on a list and fill out information and based off your eligibility get contacted then for when that phase of eligibility is open.”