First-of-its-kind (community-owned, utility scale) solar project planned for St. George (Utah)

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3469565

First-of-its-kind solar project planned for St. George

June 5th, 2008 @ 6:14pm

John Hollenhorst reporting

In Salt Lake, the sun was absent much of the day today, but that's rarely the case in St. George. That city is about to take advantage of the sun by building solar panels on a big scale, and every resident will be allowed to buy a piece of the St. George Solar Farm.

The solar farm would go next to the St. George wastewater treatment plant in Bloomington. It would start out small and serve several hundred homes. Utah's first utility-scale solar project would also be expandable if demand takes off.

Clean-energy advocates say building on a big scale helps keep down costs. "Because one of the largest barriers to solar is the cost right now," explained Kelly Knutsen, of Utah Clean Energy.

Homeowners who put in their own solar panels previously qualified for a Utah tax credit. Now, new legislation signed by the governor extends the tax advantage to community-owned systems.

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(Video available at link.)

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Very cool

[JDPriestly]

2. Kicked and recommended.

We could do this in Southern California. This would be a great project.