June 23 - Nearly two years later, disputes remain between Cole Hardwood and Water Street's Sunfield and Market.
"The solar panels have performed well since the initial outage," said Greg Toth, general manager and supervisor of Logansport Utilities. And they said taxpayer money was never used for the solar field.
The solar field is developed and owned by Cardinal Renewables and operated by Alchemy Renewable Energy.
The Logansport facilities collect 14 megawatts of electricity annually from solar power.
Tot said it's a small size. In total, LU consumes more than 400 MW of energy per year.
"Logansport Utilities buys its power exclusively from the solar field," Toth said. "We don't have it. We didn't pay it. The city didn't pay it. We didn't buy the land. We signed a contract to buy electricity for the city."
The city is not responsible for maintenance or upkeep, and Toth Alchemy was very quick to respond when something was needed, like mowing the lawn.
Buying solar energy is slightly more expensive than buying electricity from the grid, but the downside is that solar energy does not cause air pollution and does not contribute to global warming.
"I don't see any concern about using solar energy," Toth said. There are no by-products. There is no harm to the environment. There is no drainage. No chemicals. High voltage electricity is produced here, so it is surrounded by a fence. I think it's something. But it will be the same with any electrical system. "
When it started in 2021, there was a little problem getting the site up and running, but that was to be expected and the problem was quickly resolved. The floor has performed well since then.
"I think it's a proof of concept or a challenge for us," he said. "(The power) is very small compared to what we use, but it shows that solar energy is important to us."
Toth said the city is ready to invest more in solar power and will explore all options moving forward.
"You have to be open to new technologies and renewable energy sources," he said. But you have to balance that with the price. This is the end. We did not pay for the solar panel. We only buy electricity. If we are going to pay for a solar field, you need to understand the price and cost of the energy produced and how it compares to what we pay for electricity today.
The solar field has an area of 80 hectares and will be used for 30 years. After 30 years, the solar panels can be removed and reused, and the land can be sold. Pollinators are planted in the sunny field.
