On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Waverly Utilities celebrated a new chapter in renewable energy. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the long-anticipated utility-scale solar development. The event marked not only a step forward for sustainable energy for Waverly but also a testament to the power of collaboration between Waverly Utilities, Sandhills Energy, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska and the USDA.

The board of trustees and management team with Waverly Utilities (WU) proudly stood alongside their partners to highlight the collective efforts driving the project. Onlookers, including local officials, shared in the excitement of a future powered by renewable energy.

Curt Atkins, general manager of WU, called the facility “a bright prospect for Waverly’s future,” and shared how the community of Waverly values the potential for grid diversification. “As fossil fuel resources become more challenging for the electric industry, WU must continue to diversify its energy portfolio and seek resources that are clean, plentiful and cost-effective,” he said. “We estimate WU will more than likely double the number of customers who receive renewable resources to their homes daily, combining our wind and solar energy sources to continue a vision that began decades ago. This large-scale solar array will be a model of what can be accomplished.”

The state-of-the-art 3.6-megawatt solar generation facility will produce an estimated 5% of the utility’s electricity. Per the partnership, Sandhills Energy (SE) will own and maintain the equipment, while WU will retain ownership of the land.

The utility made a modest investment in an appropriate transformer and will pay a very competitive rate for the solar-generated electricity it uses. Sandhills Energy will be financially responsible for everything else — from building and maintaining the solar equipment to planting and maintaining low-growth pollinator habitat on the site.

There will be no increase in cost to WU’s customers with the solar addition. Solar-generated electricity will simply become part of the overall power mix.

WU’s new solar generation facility is located near the IRUA tower just west of Waverly on Hwy. 3 on approximately 24 utility-owned acres. Its 3.6-megawatt capacity will generate up to 6.5 million kilowatt hours of WU customers’ electricity every year.

Executive Vice President of SE, Jake Pole, talked about how development of this project began in 2021. “Throughout this long-term development, we’ve seen energy costs, equipment prices, and interest rates increase. However, our team at SE is proud to say we’ve held the 2021 agreed upon price, turning that cost saving back over to Waverly.”

About Waverly Utilities

Waverly Utilities is an award-winning national leader in electric reliability, safety and renewable energy. In 2016, Waverly Utilities became a telecommunications utility offering gigabit speed internet, enhanced cable and digital telephone services. We are committed to serving Waverly with the same neighborly customer service we’ve been providing since 1904.