Laserfiche WebLink
Mr. Burandt said this is small on the scale of a utility project; however, this garden would be <br /> slightly larger than the current solar garden off of Llama Street. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove asked if the cost of this would be around $10,000,000. <br /> Mr. Burandt said yes. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove asked if the $1,000,000 that will be saved through Brownfield credits <br /> is a benefit of Connexus Energy. <br /> Mr. Burandt explained that every Ramsey resident is a Connexus Energy customer. He shared that <br /> his job is to bring forward cost effective solutions and this site qualifies for additional credits <br /> because it is on a landfill. He noted that the federal government realizes that landfills have minimal <br /> other uses and they are encouraging development on these sites with additional tax credits. He <br /> added that this site is more cost effective for Ramsey residents. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove asked if these tax credits go to the residents or to Connexus Energy <br /> members. <br /> Mr. Burandt explained that the tax credit buys down the power purchase agreement price that <br /> Connexus pays and every Connexus member will benefit from this by having lower power supply <br /> expenses. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove asked if every Connexus member is going to benefit from having this <br /> solar garden, Ramsey is going to get 20% of tax revenue, and the County will be getting 80%. She <br /> asked if the City would be able to get more than 20%. <br /> Mr. Burandt said no due to State statute. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove shared her frustration with this solar garden being in Ramsey while all <br /> other Connexus members outside the City will be benefiting from it. She added that it is her <br /> understanding that smaller scale installations like this one end up being less cost effective than <br /> larger installations. <br /> Mr. Burandt explained that this solar power will feed into the substation next to the Ramsey Fire <br /> Hall off of Alpine. He said all of this power will stay within the local area, benefiting Ramsey. He <br /> added that this project has cleared the hurdle of the mobilization expense for the solar to be <br /> developed. <br /> Councilmember Specht asked about the lifespan of the solar panels. <br /> Mr. Burandt said the solar panels would have a 30 year life expectancy with a warranty. <br /> Councilmember Howell asked how long the credit to the members will last and what kind of <br /> anticipated savings members can expect. <br /> City Council/May 14, 2024 <br /> Page 9 of 18 <br />