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Sustainability committee urges Wausau commission to advance solar-array plan; finance review to follow
Summary
Committee members told the Water Works Commission the proposed municipal solar array aligns with city greenhouse gas goals and drew community petition support; engineering funding is in the capital improvement plan and further discussion will move to the city's finance/budget process.
Members of Wausau's Sustainability and Energy Committee told the Water Works Commission on Tuesday that a proposed municipal solar array aligns with the city's greenhouse-gas reduction goals and has community backing.
Mary Clues, representing the committee, said she was involved in the packet materials and urged commissioners to scrutinize the project's financials, noting shifts in tax-credit availability and future electricity-price uncertainty. "I still encourage you to look at the financials because everything I've been seeing, has been that electricity prices are going to be much higher than was very conservatively estimated for the financials in this project," Clues said. She added the committee gathered a community petition with about 179 signatures supporting the project.
Carrie Edmondson said the sustainability committee approved a support letter unanimously and reviewed funding and grant options before recommending approval.
Finance Director Groat and staff told the commission that the 2026 CIP recommendation currently funds engineering only; construction would follow in a later budget year. Groat said if the city wants to capture current tax credits, the finance committee may need to consider funding construction next year rather than deferring it. She also noted that if the city funds the project outside the utility it would be financed by the city's general obligation borrowing and ultimately paid by taxpayers; Groat additionally mentioned that PFAS settlement funds were a potential funding source the utility could consider.
Commissioners were advised the project will proceed through the city's budget and finance review. No final funding decision was made at the Water Works Commission meeting; staff will bring the engineering funding request forward to the finance committee during the budget process.
Commissioners and staff agreed that the committee's goals align with city policy encouraging local energy independence and greenhouse-gas reductions, but several members asked staff to revisit assumptions once federal tax-credit rules and financing timing are clearer.
The commission did not take a formal vote on project approval at the meeting; the engineering request is slated to be considered by the city's finance process.
