Now, about one year later, the Norfolk SunWise Community Solar program is going strong, according to Steven Rames, public works director and city engineer with the City of Norfolk. Rames says the solar power produced in the 8.5-megawatt facility is not only delivering renewable energy to residents, but also delivering it at about 10% less than the normal retail price of energy from the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD).
NPPD is a publicly owned utility, and its community solar programs are set up as power purchase agreements (PPA); a private solar developer installs, owns, and operates the solar facility. There’s no upfront cost to the City of Norfolk except the city-owned land the facility operates on. The PPA states NPPD will purchase the energy from the developer at a fixed price for 20 to 30 years and offer participation to Norfolk residents through solar shares. Community members can then purchase and use the energy through these shares
