Anderson city leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the completion of a solar installation project at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Action News Now reporter Timea Horvath shows us what this project could mean for energy costs in the city.
ANDERSON, Calif. — Anderson city leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a solar installation project at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
The ceremony marked the completion of a new 750-kilowatt direct current solar installation. The panels will power the city’s highest energy-consuming facility, the wastewater treatment plant.
Over the next 20 years, the project is expected to save the city about $7.5 million in utility costs, potentially benefiting local taxpayers. The wastewater treatment plant operates as an enterprise fund, meaning it is supported by sewer utility fees that go toward maintaining and operating the system.
“This will help offset those costs long-term and help save our ratepayers money,” said Anderson City Manager Joey Forseth-Deshais.
City leaders say the solar project is part of a broader effort to invest in infrastructure that pays off over time. While savings may not be immediate, officials say the goal is to make forward-thinking decisions that benefit the city long term.
“And sometimes that doesn’t happen immediately, but our investment is forward-thinking and trying to make the city the best it can possibly be,” Forseth-Deshais said.
To complete the solar array, the city partnered with Schneider Electric. Project leaders say the collaboration helped bring the project together efficiently.
“This felt more like a partnership with the city — we were both working toward the same direction,” said Khaled Addas, a project manager for Schneider Electric. “The project went very smoothly. We finished ahead of schedule and right on budget.”
The solar panels have been operational for about a month, and company officials say they are already performing above expectations at about 125%.
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