Solar system at airport could enhance disaster resiliency

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news 

Electric Department Head Tom McBartlett presented a master plan to keep the city of Ashland’s electric department safe, reliable and capable of meeting future demand at the Ashland City Council study session Monday.  

The creation of a master plan was approved by Ashland City Council last year and, through the contracted work of Stoddard Power Systems, the electric department completed, “a thorough evaluation of the City’s electric infrastructure and made recommendations to meet future growth and timely replacement of assets,” according to meeting materials. 

The plan projected that, with a few changes, the city’s electric system would be capable of handling the projected population growth and with a few potential upgrades and alterations — such as an expansion of the Mountain Avenue substation and a potential upgrade to its transformer. Councilors and Mayor Tonya Graham focused on concerns related to climate and resilience. 

Mayor Tonya Graham asked if the plan properly considered the push for meeting climate goals through increased electrification. The consideration of electric HVAC systems seemed too thin in the plan, she said. 

McBartlett responded that new construction is far more efficient than older homes and many newly built homes in Ashland are also “solar ready,” further reducing the system load. 

Chapter 10 of the report includes consideration of the increased system demand related to electric vehicles and related changes, said Martin Stoddard, president and principal engineer of Stoddard Power Systems, who attended the meeting via Zoom. 

Councilor Eric Hansen said he was dissatisfied with the plan because he remembered the conversation surrounding its origin as one defined by climate goals and resilience such as creating a city solar farm and battery backup systems, “for disaster relief as a node of a larger grid.”

A project is underway at the city’s Municipal Airport to create a solar system with battery backup to enable the city to fly in supplies and otherwise sustain itself and support others during a disaster, McBarlett said. 

Hansen continued to express dissatisfaction and pressed McBartlett to identify further and broader work in the plan related to resilience and larger scale renewable energy production.

Broadscale projects based on an idea of overall resilience and climate action are challenging because “there’s a million ways to get there,” Stoddard said. He stated the city was still working its way into these kinds of projects and was better poised to start with smaller, more specific projects, such as the solar project at the Municipal Airport. 

Councilor Bob Kaplan stated the plan should quickly be put to use imagining how to support utilities customers in both increased renewable energy and decreased system demand. 

“We have the ability to shape our demand. … replacing inefficient heating and air conditioning with high efficiency heat pumps could actually reduce our total draw. I think we need to develop a strategy, we need to think about that, how much money are we going to put into helping customers?” he said. 

“I’m satisfied with the master plan, but I’m looking for something more, I’m looking for a plan that goes along with these things,” he said. 

City Manager Sabrina Cotta stated the city’s overall strategic process — expected to begin next year — should provide an opportunity for council to choose priorities and direct staff to pursue the resulting projects. 

Ashland resident Paul Mozina spoke in public comment on the issue, requesting an opt out option for potential smart meters that would not cost the customer extra. While he is not sensitive, he said the issue is akin to much like society giving up previously enjoyable complimentary airplane peanuts. While he misses the peanuts himself, it is worth it to give them up for those who have allergies. 

Graham asked McBartlett about the feasibility of a no-cost opt-out option. McBartlett stated if too many customers opt out the system, upgrade becomes a sunk cost to the utility. Reading traditional meters also costs more. 

“It’s causing a truck roll, it’s causing a body to be there, you gotta have a recovery for that,” he said. 

In a late addition to the agenda, council also heard an update on a loan program to support increased renewable energy.

Finance Director Marrianne Berry explained that, while the city of Ashland has been at work on this program for three years, it will have to wait a little longer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture On-Bill financing program is typically done with utilities companies, rather than municipalities. The USDA forms are not prepared to easily accommodate the legal necessities of a municipality and in this muddied state paperwork and other agreements have stalled. 

The loan agreement process is still ongoing and the program is expected to provide financial support in the form of loans for renewable energy upgrades that customers can pay back as part of their regular utility billing, Barry said. 

The program is highly open-ended, McBartlett said. 

“If we can show a conservation part of it, it qualifies for the loan,” he said of possible projects for the program. 

In the coming months the loan agreement process is expected to conclude and staff will return to council with further discussion of the program as needed. 

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.