EVERETT — The Snohomish County PUD is looking to build a new solar panel array in South Everett.
On March 30, the Everett City Council will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom to consider a 15-year lease of city property to the PUD for this project. The property is about 1.75 acres sited adjacent to Walter
E. Hall Park on Casino Road.
The money that the PUD would save by generating electricity here will be donated into its program to help people with their utility bills, known as Project Pride.
The utility is targeting to start construction later this year. The system will be slightly smaller to the PUD’s Arlington solar array, PUD spokesman Aaron Swaney said. It could generate upward of $25,000 annually in funding for the Project Pride program, Swaney said.
“The solar array at this location will have high visibility to the local community and park visitors, bringing clean renewable energy to the neighborhood. The site is an area where the PUD experiences summer peaking loads,” said Suzy Oversvee, PUD Senior Customer and Energy Services Program Manager, through a statement.
In 2021, 611 households received bill reductions through Project Pride, totaling nearly $90,000 in assistance, Swaney said.
Customer donations mainly keep the 40-year-old program going. Donation slips are often inserted in monthly power bills or you can give on www.snopud.com
People can apply for power bill help through St. Vincent de Paul, 425-374-1243.
The PUD has been talking with the city of Everett for a year about leasing the site.
In 2021, the PUD received a $860,000 state grant toward the solar array from the state Department of Commerce’s Washington Clean Energy Fund, which spread $3.7 million in project grants in 2021.
