Palo Alto to Invest $350 Million in Solar Powered Future

The City of Palo Alto continues to move forward with it's ambitious solar energy project.

At Monday's session, the City Council authorized the investment of $350 million to purchase up to 182,500 megawatt-hours (MWh) of solar photovoltaic electric power per year. Enough they claim to power the entire city—all 65,000 residents.

According to a utilities department spokeswoman by 2017 Palo Alto's carbon-footprint should be significantly reduced because 100 percent of the city's electricity purchases will be carbon-neutral electricity derived solely through carbon-free long-term renewable contracts and hydroelectric resources.
"Palo Alto has bought the entire output from these three new projects which are being built right here in our home state," said Jane Ratchye, director of the City Utilities Resource Management division. "People can go gaze upon the fields of solar panels and know that’s exactly where their electric power is coming from! I find that pretty cool."

Since Palo Alto owns its utilities all of the power generated from the solar will go back to the city. The city also receives nearly 50 percent of it's electricity from "non-carbon emitting hydroelectric generation," according to a statement. Currently the city provides rebates to residential homes and businesses who use photovoltaic solar panels.

The contracts with Elevation Solar C LLC, Western Antelope Blue Sky Ranch B LLC, and Frontier Solar LLC run for 30-years and start December 2016. The solar panels would be located on distressed agricultural land in Fresno, Los Angeles and Stanislaus Counties respectively.

For more information on Palo Alto’s commitment to renewable solar energy visit www.cityofpaloalto.org/solarprograms.

Correction made at 4:33 p.m.: Originally published article erroneously interpreted the cost to Palo Alto customers of new city initiative. Customers will not pay "$3 per year" for their electrical bill. The $3 is an additional cost to their electrical bill.