By Cyrus Reed
Need a break from all the negativity in your news feed? Want some positive news? The City of Denton is poised to be one step closer to 100% renewable energy this week. On Tuesday, May 8, Denton City Council is expected to approve a contract that would bring 100 megawatts (MW) of solar power to the city by 2020. That's enough to power about 23,000 homes. (Update: Denton City Council passed the solar contract unanimously!)
On the heels of its decision earlier this year to move toward 100% renewable energy by the end of 2020 (two years from now!), Denton would enter into a deal with NextEra Energy to add a lot more solar to its 30 MW Bluebell I solar plant. The “Bluebell II” solar plant would serve Denton Municipal Electric and be located near Sterling City northwest of San Angelo in West Texas, near the border of Sterling and Coke counties.
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Bluebell I is expected to be online by November of this year.The Public Utilities Board, a citizen advisory committee, voted to recommend approval by city council this morning on Monday, May 7, on a 7-0 vote.
It is on the agenda for City Council tomorrow at noon. Under the terms of the agreement, the City of Denton would receive all the benefits of 100 MW of solar-generated electricity for 15 years in return for a fixed price per MWh. While the agreement, called a power purchase agreement (or PPA), does not reveal the price of the contract (it’s considered confidential information) the proposed resolution states that the contract and accompanying information will not impact rates in Denton and is in line or below average wholesale energy rates.
Previously, the City of Denton entered into a contract for the aforementioned 30 MW Bluebell I solar facility (expected online by November 2018), and with the Santa Rita Wind Facility, a 150 MW facility in Far West Texas, which is expected to be online this month.
Denton is also currently reviewing proposed future solar contracts as part of a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by New Braunfels Utilities on behalf of multiple public power entities like Denton Municipal Electric. Once the two Bluebell solar plants and wind plant are operational, we estimate that Denton will be getting approximately 60 percent of its power from renewable energy.
Denton became the second city in Texas to approve a 100% renewable by 2020 resource plan. However, Denton will also be running the Gibbons Creek Coal Plant this summer along with three other municipalities, and it’s also the owner of a new natural gas plant which will run this summer as well.
We continue to advocate that the city permanently retire the coal plant on or before 2020, and lower their use of the natural gas plant by investing in local clean energy solutions.
If you live in Denton, let City Council know that you support the proposed contract for 100 MW of solar power.