Committee forwards Wilbur Cross solar parking-canopy lease that would net about $60,000 a year for the city

The New Haven School District Finance & Operations Committee on Wednesday reviewed a proposed solar parking-canopy lease at Wilbur Cross that city staff and developer GreenSky's Clean Energy say would produce roughly $60,000 a year in lease payments to the city’s general fund.

The presenter said the Wilbur Cross canopy would be about 0.5 megawatts and that the city already has related contracts at the landfill and parking canopies at other schools. "This project at Wilbur Cross will generate roughly $60,000 a year," the presenter said, explaining the landfill project produces about $72,000 annually.

Why it matters: earlier canopy and rooftop projects reduced on-site electricity costs or were structured as power-purchase agreements; changes in the state solar program mean several new projects will be run as leases where GreenSky sells power to United Illuminating and the city receives a fixed lease payment. Committee members pressed for clarity about who benefits and how the district and public will be informed of revenue.

Board questions focused on community outreach, maintenance and the contract term. GreenSky's representative, Ryan Lanieris, said GreenSky will own and maintain the equipment, provide 24–48 hour notice before accessing school property for maintenance, and handle snow removal in major storms. "All maintenance in and around the solar array would be performed by GreenSky's," Lanieris said. He also said that GreenSky will remove above- and below-ground equipment and restore the site when the lease ends.

Several board members raised concerns about the easement language. A member said the draft easement appeared broad and might bar structures anywhere on the campus; the presenter said the intent is to limit scope to the southern side of the property and that staff will work with corporation counsel to narrow the language.

Committee members also asked how the schools themselves benefit financially. One member summarized the point: "I think there's no direct benefit to the school financially from this," and the presenter agreed, saying lease payments are routed to the city general fund under current policy. Board members asked staff to provide routine reporting so the board can see how much general-fund revenue arrays hosted on school property generate.

Other topics discussed included possible EV charging infrastructure (the developer said adding chargers can harm project economics but recommended installing spare conduit during trenching), warranty and equipment life (manufacturers provide 25-year panel warranties and panels typically degrade roughly 0.5% per year), and classroom/STEM uses of project data — GreenSky offered dashboards, guest speakers and internships for students.

What happens next: the committee voted to forward the solar lease, along with other agenda items, to the full board for consideration. The presenter said, if permitting and UI agreement timelines hold, construction-related work (geotechnical sampling) would start in a summer period with a target to begin major construction in summer 2027. "We should know for sure by October or November" whether the schedule is on track, the presenter said.

Speakers quoted or relied on in this article: Ryan Lanieris (GreenSky's Clean Energy representative), the unnamed city/agency presenter who led the summary to the committee, Chair Mister Wilcox, Doctor Yarbrough and Miss Downer.

Ending: The committee sent the agreement to the full board; the full board will receive the packet for formal consideration and any contract revisions to easement language or MOU provisions will be reflected in that submission.