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Board approves 20‑year solar power purchase agreement at Fitch High School
Summary
The board authorized a 20‑year offtake/power purchase agreement to install solar at Robert E. Fitch High School, adopting a fixed credit arrangement and operations-and‑maintenance provisions; the measure passed 7–1 after questions about contract term, warranties and site impact.
The Mountain Board of Education voted May 26 to authorize a 20‑year power purchase/offtake agreement that will install solar arrays at Robert E. Fitch High School and credit the district for electricity produced. The board approved a resolution authorizing the superintendent to execute the agreement with the Connecticut Green Bank or its designee.
Board members asked detailed technical and contractual questions before the vote. Administrators and the solar developer explained the structure: the Green Bank (as project owner) will finance and install the system, provide manufacturer warranties, perform remote monitoring and deliver regular preventative maintenance. The district will receive a fixed monetary credit per kilowatt‑hour from the utility (the transcript cites Eversource) for power produced over the contract term.
Several board members asked about the 20‑year term and the district’s flexibility if technology improves. The vendor said the 20‑year PPA matches utility incentive terms and that the physical equipment typically has a serviceable life beyond 20 years; options at contract end include extending the PPA, purchasing the system at fair market value, or having the owner remove the equipment and restore the site. The vendor said routine preventative maintenance visits and remote monitoring are included, and emergency repairs would be handled by the owner at no cost to the district.
Members also asked about relocating modules if the district later repurposed space (for example to add fields); the vendor said relocation is possible but would incur cost and should be planned for during site layout. The board also discussed warranties and spare module stock held by the owner to replace failed modules.
The resolution passed with a recorded tally of seven in favor and one opposed. The transcript records some confusion about an individual member’s final hand on the roll call; the official result as read aloud was 7–1 in favor.
