RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) -A debate over more solar panels on Richmond-owned buildings is heating up.
The Office of Sustainability wants to enter a deal that would place the company, Secure Solar’s panels on nearly 40 city buildings.
Some councilmembers are skeptical around contract costs and the timeline.
Councilmembers Sarah Abubaker and Kenya Gibson fear the deal is risky, bringing up questions around the hefty fee to exit the contract in the first five years.
The two also questioned the repair costs for panels, and want to ensure the buildings they are going on, are secure enough to handle the weight.
Abubaker says her concerns are around the risk put on the city, and are no way indicative in her belief in green energy.
“This is a 25-year contract. I want that to set with everybody because this is not something the city endeavors every day. And many of us will be old, gone, our children will be here, and so 25 years is a significant commitment. And to me, this is the same as entering into a marriage and we have to ask the question,” she said.
Abubaker says the fee for terminating the contract would be $28 million. Secure Solar’s CEO Anthony Smith explained it is high in the first five years of the contract, because of the tax rules around the credits being used for the panels.
He says the city does not have to pay if it does not produce any electricity.
The Government Operations committee ultimately decided to move the deal forward to the full council, but gave no recommendation.
“We’re at a crux moment where there’s a lot of concern and I would just hope that the council members place a lot of trust, word trust again, that the administration has done all the homework” Secure Solar CEO Anthony Smith said. “And yes, they have questions, but at the end of the day, you heard the CAO step up each time and say, yes, we have addressed those risk concerns.”
Councilmembers asked for a full risk assessment. The deal will be put up to a vote on Monday, September 28.
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