City council met Monday night and Mayor Butch Berry invited John Coleman, regional director for Entegrity Energy Partners of Fayetteville, to present a proposed agreement for a sustainable energy development project with Eureka Springs.
Berry explained that city administration had requested information from various renewable energy companies to develop efficient solutions for the city’s facilities such as the Police and Fire Stations, Public Works, Auditorium, Wastewater Treatment Plant, street lights, and Lake Leatherwood ballfield lights. Entegrity rose above the rest to meet the city’s request.
Coleman said state legislators approved Act 464 earlier this year which revised the Arkansas Renewable Energy Development Act of 2001. The revision provides investment tax credit to private entities which provide government entities with sustainable energy. Entegrity is currently partnering in similar energy development projects with the University of Arkansas, Arkansas Department of Corrections, Green Forest Public Schools, the City of Green Forest, and Batesville Public Schools, to name a few.
Coleman described how Eureka Springs currently purchases electricity from two primary providers; Southwestern Electric Power Company and Carroll Electric Cooperative Corporation. The proposed project execution of renewable energy through Entegrity in the form of solar services should result in an energy savings guarantee per kilowatt hour.
If the city agrees, and if the project assessment and evaluation prove beneficial, the implementation of solar energy would facilitate a 25-year contractual partnership where Entegrity provides for all capital costs (i.e., land, equipment, solar array, engineering), operations, and maintenance in return for an initial outlay of $9,590 from Eureka Springs, which Coleman explained will be applied to the city’s future purchases of renewable energy.
After council discussion, the vote was unanimous in favor to pass Resolution 761, whereas the city will participate in solar energy development to mitigate the cost of future electrical needs of the city and agree to a working relationship with Entegrity Energy Partners, LLC.