BAXTER – The Baxter Metropolis Council has the ultimate say on a proposed photo voltaic vitality mission close to Brainerd Public Utilities’ wastewater remedy facility.
The council is predicted to debate the mission throughout its assembly Tuesday, Jan. 17, and determine whether or not to grant permission. The 7- to 8-acre mission is proposed for 7933 Highland Scenic Highway in Baxter. Whereas the land is situated close to Brainerd Public Utilities and owned by town of Brainerd, it resides in Baxter.
The Brainerd Metropolis Council has already given approval for BPU to enter into an settlement with Brainerd Photo voltaic LLC, which is a division of American Electrical Energy, to construct the power, which may have about 4,000 panels and produce about 1.3 megawatts – or 2.4 million kilowatts. hours – of photo voltaic vitality. That manufacturing quantities to about 1.3% of the annual vitality wanted for BPU clients.
“The final remaining portion — which can also be the most important portion — acquired a blessing from the city of Baxter,” mentioned Todd Wicklund, BPU secretary/finance director.
BPU officers are working with town at numerous ranges, together with the Planning and Zoning Fee and the Metropolis Council, as a result of the land must be rezoned and Baxter doesn’t have an ordinance addressing photo voltaic amenities.
“We are the first entity that is form of treading water by way of how town approaches all these initiatives going ahead,” Wicklund mentioned in a cellphone interview on Friday, January 13. “And that is the place some attention-grabbing discussions befell as a result of no matter they do with the request of the BPU, they use that blueprint for future candidates.
Baxter planning and zoning officers gave their approval for the mission, leaving the ultimate say to the Metropolis Council.
Wicklund mentioned the mission started to take form a couple of years in the past whereas town was engaged on one thing much like the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. That almost 5 megawatt array simply got here on-line on Dec. 31. As soon as work started on the mission, Wicklund mentioned American Electrical Energy officers started asking about different doable areas for the amenities. of photo voltaic vitality within the Brainerd space. That was the waste remedy plant.
American Electrical Energy, an investor-owned electrical utility, builds and owns the photo voltaic arrays, whereas BPU buys the electrical energy generated.
The vitality generated by the airport facility will characterize about 5.6% of the annual vitality wanted for BPU clients, Wicklund mentioned.
If Metropolis Council members approve the mission, Wicklund mentioned the timber can be lower down earlier than the top of winter to make room for the panels, and building will probably start within the spring and summer time.
The Baxter Metropolis Council will meet at 7 pm Tuesday at Metropolis Corridor.
THERESA BOURKE will be reached at
theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com
or 218-855-5860. Comply with him on Twitter at
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