OC board member, Tom Giessel, is a native of central Kansas. Tom is also a life-long farmer and learner. Recently, he learned from his local rural electric cooperative that the largest community solar facility in Kansas was under construction just three hours away. This community idea appealed to Tom, and the electric cooperative, Midwest Energy, has a policy that customers in their territory can buy solar electric panels in the shared solar array and get credit on their energy bill. The clean power produced by the panels Tom purchased (five 305-watt solar electric panels) are estimated to save more than $11,000 in the array’s lifetime in addition to reducing the carbon footprint.
The new venture was a double-win for Giessel, who is also a strong supporter of cooperatives. In an article for Clean Energy Collective, he was quoted saying, “These types of activities and efforts actually pull a community together more and give it a brighter outlook for the future.”
Read the full article at cleaneasyenergy.com
