Frances Strayer: Frustrated with Carroll County Delegation regarding solar decision

To The Daily Sun,

In 2025, a group of volunteers asked the Carroll County Commissioners if they could explore solar power for the County Complex. On March 20, the Solar Exploratory Committee made a thorough presentation to the Carroll County Delegation about the installation of solar panels for the county complex.

The proposed solar array would offset 25% of the Department of Corrections energy usage, providing $30,000 in savings per year.

It would generate $1 million in savings via inflation-proof electric power generation over its 40-year project lifetime.

The benefits would go beyond the 40-year lifetime due to components like racking and electrical lines, which would all remain usable well beyond 40 years.

The project would qualify for a 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit as direct payment if 5% of project spending occurred by July 4.

A loan at 2.5% interest is available to cover 80% of the project. The loan payment would be less than the annual savings on the power.

The facilities manager was on the committee and in favor of this installation.

Other communities in the state have successfully installed solar power in municipal and county sites.

The county complex is land-rich, and this proposal offers the use of about half an acre of land to create income for the county.

And yet, they chose not to recommend the project 8-6. Seven Republicans against, and six Democrats and one Republican in favor.

As a taxpayer, I am frustrated with the delegation. The majority has chosen to miss an opportunity to save my tax dollars with this solar proposal. They chose to throw away an opportunity to earn $30,000 per year with a large increase in savings over time. As taxpayers, we need to let our delegates know we expect more fiscally responsible behavior with our money.

Frances Strayer

Sandwich