(Submitted by the City of Bowling Green)
The City of Bowling Green Municipal Utilities has been named as one of a select group of utilities that connected the most solar or the most storage to the grid in 2017, earning it a spot on the annual top 10 utility industry lists compiled by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA).
In survey results released April 25, Bowling Green ranked No. 7 on the Utility Solar list, with 938.3 watts-per-customer installed in 2017. The 2018 listings are the 1st time Bowling Green has made SEPA’s Top 10.
Awards are given in four categories: Top 10 utilities for most new solar megawatts and most new watts per customer, and top 10 utilities for most new storage megawatts and most watts per customer. The top 10 winners in all categories were recognized at the organization’s flagship utility event, the SEPA Utility Conference, this year being held in Rancho Mirage.
The 11th annual survey collected figures from over 400 utilities across the country on solar, energy storage and demand response connected to the grid in 2017 and since 2007 for solar. The solar project constructed in Bowling Green is a 20.0 MW generating site that occupies 165 acres. At 20.0 MW, the Bowling Green solar project is the largest solar installation in the State of Ohio. Out of the 20.0 MW, Bowling Green contracted to purchase 13.74 MW generated from the project, which was used to determine the 7th place ranking.
“We are excited to be ranked in the SEPA Top 10 national survey for solar watts per customer,” said Brian O’Connell, Bowling Green Utilities Director. “Solar is an important addition to our power supply resources that is responsible, renewable, and economical. This project will provide benefits to our customers and our community well beyond 2018.”
“This year’s top 10 lists reflect a pivotal moment in the U.S. energy transition, as utilities increasingly focus on solar and storage as distributed resources providing value to customers and the grid,” said Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA. “Beyond its impressive numbers, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities embodies a strong model for innovation and leadership that utilities across the country will continue to build on as we move toward a clean, smart and resilient energy future.
The full Top 10 listings are available online at www.sepatop10.org.
The solar site on Carter Road has 85,000 panels
