Solar Energy in Sidney?

The Sidney City Council is considering entry into the solar energy market.

Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN, the wholesale electricity provider for the city) issued an RFP (Request For Proposal) about two years ago on behalf of six MEAN communities for solar photovoltaic (PV) field. Proposals were submitted but the project did not move forward. Prices were higher than what communities expected.

Since then, according to a memo from Electricity Superintendent Mike Palmer, solar prices have continued to decline.

“The prices were a lot higher five years ago, on the renewable side,” Palmer...