Council authorizes ACES Up MOU to fast‑track solar projects, citing July 4 safe‑harbor deadline

The Stratford Town Council voted June 8 to authorize the mayor to sign a memorandum of understanding with ACES Up that allows the nonprofit consortium to pursue a stage‑one package of solar and renewable projects at town facilities.

Brendan Shy, ACES Up, said the program identifies low‑cost, "low‑hanging fruit" solar projects across roughly 18 locations the town can move quickly to safe‑harbor federal and state incentives that ACES expects to change after July 4. "In order to have projects safe‑harbored, we need local approvals for those to take effect," he said.

Councilors discussed the program's economics at length. One councilor framed the package as a roughly $18 million program and asked about the 5% local expenditure required to secure incentives. A councilor summarized the town’s exposure: "5% that you your team would have to put out, which is a little under a million dollars," a figure discussed during Q&A and attributed in the meeting to council estimates of project totals. ACES described the projects as no cost to the town for procurement and ongoing maintenance during the contract term and noted electricians and technical staff would be IBW‑certified.

ACES explained a buy‑all model in which all power produced by the solar arrays is sold to the utility; the town receives a portion of proceeds as on‑bill credits that reduce municipal energy costs. Contracts discussed at the meeting typically run 20 years; the town could elect to acquire assets at the end of a contract term. Councilors voted to adopt the resolution authorizing the stage‑one solar package and MOU after brief discussion and no recorded objections.

The council intends to track project timelines and financial terms as agreements are negotiated and to hold the administration and ACES Up to the representations made in public about costs, incentives, and maintenance.