Evansville city officials and Vectren on Monday announced a partnership that will bring 8,000 solar panels to city-owned land on the south side of Morgan Avenue, just east of U.S. 41.
It's part of Vectren's long-term plan to diversify power generation sources. Vectren will lease the Morgan Avenue property, which is behind Oak Hill Cemetery.
The utility's investment in the solar panels represents an expenditure of about $5.5 million.
The solar project announced Monday will be a 2-megawatt site capable of powering about 300 homes, Vectren CEO Carl Chapman said. The utility expects to have it operating by 2018.
City Cemeteries Director Chris Cooke said the city has had the goal of having "green cemeteries" at Oak Hill and Locust Hill, and "you can't get any more green than having solar power."
Cooke said the city often fields complaints about the unsightly, empty land off Morgan, and having the solar panels there will be a revenue-producing solution,that will also give cemetery staff more time to take care of gravesites.
"That's one of the benefits for what we're doing -- we're trying to maximize the opportunity," Cooke said.
Wendy Bredhold, campaign representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign in the Ohio River Valley, said the solar panel announcement is good news, though she criticized the utility's support of Senate Bill 309, which detractors believe will discourage greater use of solar power. The bill has passed both houses and awaits action from Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Holcomb said at a news conference Tuesday he is still considering the bill.
“It’s good to see Vectren, the last investor-owned utility in Indiana to invest in solar energy, make this announcement with the City of Evansville. We support all solar projects - utility projects, like this one, and customer-owned solar. That’s why we think it is unfortunate that Vectren has pushed Senate Bill 309, to prevent customers from getting control over their rising electric bills with rooftop solar,” Bredhold said.