The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors met Thursday in regular session.

The Board heard a sales presentation from Harvest Energy Iowa Territory Manager John Sobek about the County using solar power. Sobek says the company’s program could allow the County to purchase electricity at a reduced rate for the next two decades. “The way it works, is Harvest (Energy) would design and install solar array systems on rooftops, or on the ground if it made sense, and sell the electricity generated back to Guthrie County at a reduced rate. For example, if the County is paying twelve-cents per kilowatt-hour, Harvest (Energy) would sell the electricity back to Guthrie County at a rate of nine-cents per kilowatt-hour. It’s call a power purchase agreement, and those agreements are usually 20 years or so. So, this allows Guthrie County to lock in their kilowatt-hour rate for the next 20 years.”

He adds during the 20-year agreement, Harvest Energy would be responsible for all maintenance and upkeep to the solar panels, noting that because they have no moving parts and are difficult to damage, they are generally reliable and weather-resistant. “These panels are so durable, that there are videos online where they shoot one-inch hail stones through an air cannon at 200 miles per hour (at these solar panels), and it has no effect.”
Because only two Supervisors, Grasty and Carney,  were in attendance for most of Sobek’s presentation, they invited him to come back for a follow-up presentation when more of the Board is present.