Canterbury hears case for $180,000 municipal solar project, selectmen weigh reserve fund for Community Power adder

Tom Franco, a member of the town energy committee and an employee of Revision Energy, presented a proposal for a 60-kilowatt rooftop solar system and a ~20-kilowatt battery for Canterbury’s municipal complex, and recommended a warrant article to finance the work with a bond rather than new taxes. Franco said the system would be sized to produce roughly the town’s annual municipal-site generation and that, conservatively, the panels would generate $12,000–$14,000 per year to offset electric costs.

Why it matters: Franco told the Selectboard the project would cut the municipal electric budget over 25 years and that he modeled a $180,000 bond as the most likely path without adding to taxpayers’ annual burden. He said the town would likely see net savings once bond payments and energy production are…