A city official said last week that when a project to install 12 acres’ worth of solar panels in Columbia is complete, the city could become a leading community in the United States for solar power capacity.
The city entered an agreement Dec. 20 with the Omaha, Neb.-based Free Power Co. in which the city would purchase energy produced from solar panels the company installs at $54 per megawatt-hour. The company had aimed to have the panels installed and producing 6,000 megawatts-hours annually by Sept. 30, but design complications have caused delays.