Farmer urges Rocky Mount to put solar panels on event center roof to cut energy costs

Reginald Harrell, a Halifax County farmer and owner of on-farm solar, told the Rocky Mount City Council during public comment that the city should consider installing solar panels on the Martin Luther King Jr. Park event center roof and pursue local solar projects to reduce power costs.

Harrell said he has a solar farm and rooftop panels at his home and described visible sunlight on the event center roof as “an excellent spot” for panels. "It's a excellent spot for y'all guys to consider putting solar panels on it," he said, adding that properly sited panels could send power back to the grid.

He also told the council that Duke Energy has signaled rate increases and that local solar installations and new transmission lines are under development near his farm; he said those trends create an opportunity for municipal solar to reduce future electricity expenses. Harrell asked the city to consider working with solar firms and left printed materials with staff.

The council did not take formal action during the meeting; Harrell’s remarks were recorded during the public comments portion of the agenda. The city manager and staff may refer the suggestion to relevant departments for review, but no staff direction was recorded in the public transcript.