Richmond's solar parks can power 5,000 local homes
RICHMOND, Ind. — With air conditioners running last Friday afternoon, Richmond Power & Light's electrical system load peaked at 141 megawatts about 4 p.m.
At that same time, the city's five solar parks generated 29.7 megawatts, satisfying 21% of that demand, "which is pretty impressive," said RP&L General Manager Tony Foster to RP&L board members Monday night. Foster used Monday's meeting to update his board, which consists of Richmond Common Council members, about solar energy.
Richmond recently received a Silver designation in the SolSmart program of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and the International City/County Management Association. It recognized the city for welcoming business and residential solar development.
Foster said he receives several industrial inquiries each month about RP&L's solar power. RP&L is one of 61 members of the Indiana Municipal Power Agency, which builds and operates the city's solar parks.
In its member communities, IMPA currently has 161.9 megawatts of solar power generating capacity, according to Foster. The five Richmond parks account for 31.4 megawatts, or 19.4%, of that capacity. IMPA's solar production can power about 22,349 homes, with 5,039 of those homes in Richmond.
Add in a Centerville solar park with a 1 megawatt capacity that can power 170 homes and Wayne County accounts for 20% of IMPA's generating capacity that can power 5,209 Wayne County homes.
The IMPA website's solar energy page, impa.com/solar, shows charts of each solar park's daily generation. On Monday, for example, the five Richmond parks generated 171,479 kilowatt hours of electricity, and the Centerville park generated 6,120 kilowatt hours.
That number will continue growing, because Richmond plays a key part in IMPA's solar growth. IMPA already has solar projects underway that will add nearly 35 megawatts of generation capacity, including nearly 10 megawatts in Richmond.
The Richmond 6 solar park along Wernle Road is expected to be commissioned during April 2023 with 5.33 megawatts of generation capacity, and the Richmond 7 park along Round Barn Road is scheduled to be commissioned during the third quarter of 2023 with a 4.35 megawatt capacity.
Those two parks would increase Richmond's share of IMPA's generating capacity to 20.9% and Wayne County's to 21.5%. With the additions, the Richmond solar parks could power 6,613 homes and the county's 6,783.
IMPA plans for its energy generation to be 46% no-carbon by 2026, according to its annual report. That includes 75 megawatts of wind generation capacity IMPA has contracted to begin during this year's final quarter.
Foster said toward that goal IMPA continues seeking local land for additional solar parks. He was asked if RP&L land along U.S. 27 adjacent to the Richmond 1 solar park could be utilized, but Foster said it could not because it's in a flood plain.
When pointed out that there has been some activity in that area, Foster, while laughing, said RP&L is dealing with a groundhog infestation there. He said RP&L must keep the groundhogs from digging into the utility's nearby coal ash pile.
More information about local solar programs are available at www.rp-l.com and the city website's "Solar Power" page at richmondindiana.gov.
In an action taken Monday, the board gave Foster permission to solicit bids for a half-ton, crew cab pickup trick for the line department. A 2010 Ford F150 with 170,000 miles will be used as a trade-in.
This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Richmond's solar parks can power 5,000 local homes
