44News Reporter
Courtney Green joined 44News as a Reporter/MMJ in August 2024. She is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Digital Trends and Analytics.
Evansville is launching a $6.5 million solar project funded by its water and sewer utility to equip nearly 20 city buildings with solar panels, a move officials say will cut municipal electricity bills by more than a third over the next four years.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEVV) — The city of Evansville is looking to the sun to cut utility costs and hit its long-term climate goals through a newly announced municipal solar initiative.
Over the next four years, the city plans to outfit nearly 20 municipal buildings with solar panels, including high-energy facilities like the Swonder Ice Arena and Mesker Park Zoo. The project aims to reduce the city’s collective $1.6 million annual electricity bill by more than a third while advancing its broader Climate Action Plan.
“It’s going to save and reduce costs on the city in the long run on some of the city facilities that we are going to be able to add solar to,” Mayor Terry said.
The project carries a $6.5 million price tag, but local officials have designed a funding mechanism that avoids dipping into general tax dollars upfront. Instead, the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility will cover the initial capital costs.
The city will repay the utility over the next six years, leveraging the direct savings from the lowered electric bills alongside federal tax credits. Officials emphasized that the system is structured to fully pay for itself without impacting Evansville’s day-to-day operational budget.
While the Terry administration is still deciding exactly where the long-term operational savings will be reinvested, leadership is framing the project as a critical piece of a larger environmental and economic vision for the city.
“Green can represent a whole lot: growth, all of the investments we’re making in our parks and recreational spaces, and then also here with solar,” Mayor Terry said. “So that is an overarching goal for our community—to keep moving forward.”
The solar rollout serves as the latest phase of Evansville’s ongoing strategy to modernize its municipal operations, keeping the city on track toward its target of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
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44News Reporter
Courtney Green joined 44News as a Reporter/MMJ in August 2024. She is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Digital Trends and Analytics.
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