New solar garden will honor late Eagle resident, clean energy champion Adam Palmer

Holy Cross Energy on Monday issued the following press release on the construction of a new community solar garden to honor the late Eagle County Sustainable Communities Director, Adam Palmer:

Community partners including Eagle County, Holy Cross Energy (HCE), Walking Mountains Science Center, and the Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund (APSF) have come together to honor the legacy of Adam Palmer, the late Sustainable Communities Director for Eagle County, Town of Eagle council member, and HCE board member.

A new community solar garden will be constructed to honor Palmer’s passion for clean energy and allow previously under-represented groups access to solar energy. The new solar garden will allow for the expansion of HCE’s Income-Qualified Community Solar program. Members will have the opportunity to apply to receive credit from the output from the array applied to their account.

Once complete, HCE anticipates the array will provide up to 50 of their income-qualified members with up to a 50 percent reduction on their electric bill.

“HCE is committed to enhancing the quality of life for all members of our community, including those whose access to clean energy may be out of reach financially, said Jenna Weatherred, Vice President of Member and Community Relations at HCE. “The Adam Palmer Solar Garden will expand the capacity of our Income-Qualified Community Solar program to 90 members.”

The solar garden, constructed using PowerField Energy’s unique racking system, will be located at HCE’s Cooley Mesa Operations Center. The system is portable and has the ability to be moved in the future. Community partners will take part in a “barn-raising” style event and ribbon cutting in late April.

The solar garden will also assist in Eagle County’s climate action goals of providing its citizens with 80 percent clean energy by 2050.

“Adam was a strong leader within Eagle County and advocated throughout his career for 100 percent clean, renewable electricity for our region,” said John Gitchell, Environmental Manager for Eagle County. “This solar garden supports Adam’s personal mantra of ‘Clean Power’ and supports Eagle County’s climate goals by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and providing energy assistance for households that need it the most.”

After Palmer’s passing, his family, the Town, and the greater Eagle community worked to set up the Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund as a way to live in his legacy.

“The Palmer Fund’s mission is to spur community and economic development through the lens of sustainability by establishing a revolving loan fund to support projects with direct carbon-reduction impact,” said Laura Hartman, APSF Director.

There will be two after-hours events hosted by APSF and open to all members of the public on Wednesday, April 27, and Thursday, April 28.

Beginning in September, HCE members may apply to participate in the Income-Qualified Community Solar program and receive the output from the solar garden for a two-year period.