St. Charles wants to bring solar power to residents

St. Charles officials want to add a ray of sunshine into its otherwise drab electrical power offerings. City staff members announced a plan this week to bring a 500 kilowatt solar plant to the city that may give residents direct access to a green energy source for the first time. But St. Charles may be only one of 33 municipalities chasing the solar plant.

Tom Bruhl, the city's electric services manager, said the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency, of which the city is a member, wants to diversify its sources of power. Right now, coal is the major electricity generator. The agency has dabbled with wind and hydro sources as well. Bruhl believes St. Charles has the perfect location to house two acres of ground-mounted, fixed solar panels.

The city owns a five-acre land parcel off Kirk Road. It's a holding point for future electrical power needs, such as an electric transmission tower. Bruhl said it's unlikely the city would need such a tower any time in the next 20 years. That leaves open space the city would normally plant with prairie grass that would require regular mowing.

“Instead, we can have a productive use for that land,” Bruhl said. “And the city won't own, maintain or have any capital upfront costs for the placement of this plant. We would derive the benefits of having this green infrastructure in our city, but without any of the costs of ownership.”

City officials will pitch a low-cost lease of two acres of the site to IMEA, which would include a request that St. Charles citizens get first crack at buying power generated by the solar plant.

There are 32 other municipalities that are members of IMEA, which may apply for the solar plant. Most of the communities are downstate. The closest potential competitors are Naperville and Winnetka.

Aldermen gave tentative approval to the application. St. Charles Park District officials, which are neighbors to the proposed site for the solar panels, also endorsed the plan. IMEA will select a site in April. If chosen, St. Charles residents may have access to the green energy as soon as 2016.