In the regular monthly meeting of the Paris Utility Authority Board of Directors, board members heard plans for a new solar installation to be built in the Puryear area.
The board also voted to approve the fiscal year 2020 audit reports for both Paris Utility Authority and the Paris BPU Trust (Round Up) prepared by Alexander Thompson Arnold, PLLC.
Following the vote to approve the audits, the Board also approved a motion to retain Alexander Thompson Arnold, to prepare the audit for Fiscal Year 2021.
A motion to declare six trucks as surplus equipment was also approved by the Board. Paris BPU President and CEO, Terry Wimberley, noted that “all six trucks to be declared surplus have been replaced with new trucks.”
Later in the meeting, the Board also voted to approve the purchase of a new bucket truck to replace truck #172, a 2015 model, with a new 2022 model. Wimberley noted that purchase is on the utility’s normal replacement schedule.
The Board approved the motion to participate in the Property Conservation matching Grant Program. This is the second year the utility has received this grant from Public Entity Partners.
A motion to allow Paris BPU to sign a Power Purchase Agreement for 7.0 MW of energy output from a solar installation with Nashville based Silicon Ranch was approved by the Board.
“As part of the Long-Term Partnership Agreement we signed with TVA in September 2019, Paris BPU now, for the first time in our history, has the flexibility to purchase/generate up to 5% of our energy ourselves,” said Wimberley. “Silicon Ranch was a credible choice for a partnership as they pioneered utility scale solar in the state of Tennessee and remain a market leader with more than 35 operating facilities across the Tennessee Valley.”
Silicon Ranch will fund, construct, own, operate and maintain the solar facility and sell power to Paris BPU through a 30-year power purchase agreement. The agreed upon rate is approximately 2 cents lower than the rate currently paid to TVA. The rate differential is estimated to save Paris BPU approximately $280,000 annually.
As of this month, Silicon Ranch has reached a deal with a local land owner to purchase 80 acres in Puryear. The expected date for initial energy delivery to the Paris BPU electric grid is December 2022.
The final item of regular business was the approval for Paris BPU to hire Allen & Hoshall for a Solar Generation System Impact Study. Wimberley explained that the costs associated with this study will be reimbursed by Silicon Ranch as part of the project.
In his President’s Report, Wimberley informed the Board of the utility’s decision to forego an in-person Christmas party this year out of concern for the safety and well-being of the workforce and rising Covid-19 cases in the community.
During the October meeting of the Board, Wimberley announced the resignation of Charlie West, Vice President of Business and Strategic Development. Today, Wimberley announced he has named Bethany Edwards interim Business Manager. Edwards has served as Assistant Business Manager since September 2013.
The December meeting of the Board will take place on Tuesday, December 22, 2020.
Photo by Meagan Hart.