The mayor of South Lake Tahoe told 2 News that 100 percent renewable energy is the goal for the city by 2032. Conservationism has gained momentum in South Lake Tahoe. The city has added solar panels to the Lake Tahoe Airport.
“We’re taking 285 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air, every year with this system,” said Lake Tahoe Airport Manager Mark Gibbs. “We want to do everything we can to preserve the natural environment here: the lake, the forest, and everything around here,” said South Lake Tahoe Mayor Jason Collin.
According to the city's mayor and the airport's manager, the renewable energy provided by those panels will provide 95 percent of the airport's needed electrical power.
“The remaining 5 percent comes from the retrofitting our lighting fixtures with LED lights which use about 10 percent of the power of regular lights, “ said Gibbs.
The solar panels are worth $600,000. The cost of the equipment to South Lake Tahoe however is nothing.
“We agreed to over a 20 year period to buy solar power, and in exchange they basically buy and build the system. During the summer months where it’s over producing power, we're selling that power to the grid. During wintertime when we are not, we are purchasing power from the grid. But when you do the math, during the summer and winter months, we break even," said Gibbs.
The solar panels are specially built in Canada to withstand the weight of South Lake Tahoe’s snow filled winter months. As well as an environmental and electrical, the panels will offer a monetary lift as well. The additional wattage over operating needs can actually be sold off.
“We expect about $250,000 in savings,” said Gibbs
The manager of the Lake Tahoe Airport says if the solar array works out, the city may choose to expand the project, to provide 100 times the power that's being provided right now.
