Solar Donor Pursues Other Projects, City Partners with UI for Wisescaping

MOSCOW – The donor interested in funding community solar in Moscow to benefit low-income energy users has decided to pursue other projects to achieve that goal, the Moscow Sustainable Environment Commission was told at its regular meeting Tuesday. 

However, as a result of its research, the city has found it might move forward with community solar with the capital funds it already has, said Kelli Cooper, Moscow sustainability programs coordinator and the city staff liaison to the commission. 

She will continue to look into solar configurations, locations, costs and more before a proposal is brought to the commission and City Council.

In her sustainability report to the commission, Cooper stated that:

* Sept. 30 will be the last day yard irrigation is allowed in the city (https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/651/Irrigation-Season). 

* Oct. 29 is the date of the annual Palouse Basin Water Summit (https://palousebasinwatersummit.org/).

* Students in a University of Idaho landscape architecture class will design water-wise garden beds for the tree lawn (strip of land between the sidewalk and road) on the north side of the 1912 Center along Second Street. The city offers wisescaping rebates for those strips (https://www.thepollinatorpatchgarden.com/rebates/programs/moscow-wisescape-landscape-rebate) and wants to plant a tree-lawn demonstration garden to help citizens see what can be achieved (https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/782/Wisescape).

The next regular meeting of the Sustainable Environment Commission will be Oct. 20.