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Erie council approves first phase of floating solar at wastewater plant with state grant support
Summary
Council approved a 1.2 MW floating solar pilot at the North Water Reclamation Facility, funded in part by a DOLA matching grant and expected to offset a portion of the plant's electrical use; council discussed payback timelines, tax credits, and potential impacts on wastewater fund planning.
Erie, Colo. — The Erie Town Council voted June 24 to approve an amendment to an existing energy performance contract that will allow the town to install a 1.2‑megawatt floating solar array on part of the North Water Reclamation Facility’s reclaimed‑water pond.
Facilities manager Chad Alexander and ICON Energy’s Carl Hurst told council the phase‑1 array would cover roughly two acres of the pond and offset about 40% of the plant’s current electrical consumption for specific meters (solids building and east pump station). The project is scalable: staff described a later phase that could increase generation to roughly 3.1 MW and fully offset the site.
Funding: staff said the project received a DOLA (Colorado Department of Local Affairs) matching grant of about $900,000 and that the town expects to leverage federal investment tax credits (ITC) and other incentives to lower payback from an estimated 25 years to approximately 14–17 years depending on escalation assumptions. Town staff also explained the practical cash flow: DOLA reimburses the town during construction, and the town would apply for the ITC after the system is operational.
Council asked detailed implementation questions — hail and insurance exposure, net‑metering with United Power, tariff and supply‑chain risk, and whether taxpayers or wastewater customers would bear additional cost if federal credits do not materialize. Public‑works staff said the wastewater fund had budgeted for the project in the recent rate study and that any shortfall could be addressed in the next fee study rather than triggering an immediate rate increase.
Council moved and approved resolution 25‑119 to proceed with the contract amendment and the phased implementation timetable; the motion carried by voice vote. Construction and interconnection were outlined in the project timeline, with installation planned for late 2025 into early 2026 and measurement and verification to follow.
