This from the Kokomo Tribune:
PERU, IN – The Indiana Municipal Power Agency is set to build a new $19 million solar park near Peru that will supply more than 8% of the city’s electricity.
Jack Alvey, IMPA’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, said the utility company has a land purchase agreement in place for 73 acres of farm ground along West Blair Pike Road near Blair Ridge Health Campus, just outside city limits.
He said IMPA will build around 40,000 solar modules on the property that will produce up to 12 megawatts of energy, which is enough to fully supply electricity to around 1,800 homes.
The power produced by the solar modules will be piped directly to Peru Utilities, which is a member of IMPA, and will be exclusively used within the city.
The project marks the second solar park the utility company has built in Peru.
Alvey said once the new park is finished, around 10% of Peru’s electricity will come from solar power.
Construction on the solar array should begin sometime in late 2020 or early 2021, he said. Construction will take eight to 10 months and the park is expected to go on the grid in late 2021.
The Miami County Council is set to vote on a tax abatement on the project during this month’s meeting that would require IMPA to pay just 40% of its taxes for 10 years. Alvey said even with the abatement, the utility will still pay $657,000 over 10 years to the city.