Summerland receives federal grant for solar panel project

SUMMERLAND – The District of Summerland has received conditional funding for a complex project expected to provide multiple benefits to the community.

The District said in a press release issued today, March 9, it has received a $6 million Gas Tax Fund grant to assist in the development of a 1MW solar array with 2 MW of battery storage.

Several benefits are anticipated of the project, including increased local energy security, a strengthened electrical utility, and an enhanced local economy.

It is expected the project will form the basis for sustainable energy management in the District, providing ongoing opportunities for job creation, community involvement and partnerships with local businesses, schools and non-profits.

“The District of Summerland is incredibly proud to be selected to receive this funding in support of our Integrated Solar Project. Our community has indicated an immense amount of support for our electrical utility to begin generating power locally from renewable sources, and for us to take our energy future into our own hands. The economic opportunities this project will provide to Summerland cannot be understated, and we look forward engaging our residents in the process so their vision for this project can be fully realized,” District of Summerland Mayor Peter Waterman says in the release.

The project has received $100,000 in grant funding in order to complete initial stages of the project. The gas tax grant would support engineering, procurement, and construction of the solar array following the positive conclusion of a feasibility study and the securing of all funding necessary to complete the project.

If the funding conditions are not met by March 2019, the gas tax grant will be rescinded.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.