Muncie Star Press: Daleville deploying ARP funds to pay for solar panels and reduce its electric bill
ICYMI: Victoria Spartz voted “NO” to this infrastructure project, lower utility bills for towns in her District
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Democratic Party, the organization that advocates for the future of Indiana and its families, today celebrated the brighter future the American Rescue Plan is STILL creating for the Hoosier State. Last week, Daleville announced it would use $200,000 of its Rescue Plan dollars to install solar panels for the community’s new town hall facility. The infrastructure investment is expected to save Daleville about $20,000 a year. Additionally, the remaining $184,000 will be used for a pay increase for town employees. This is yet another example of how Indiana Democrats are creating a better economic future for the state.
The same cannot be said for U.S. Congresswoman Victoria Spartz and Indiana Republicans who flat out voted “NO” on this investment. In fact, Indiana GOP Chairman Kyle Hupfer called these projects “socialism” and claimed their opposition to jobs was a “great campaign to run on”. Democrats will highlight Spartz’s “NO” record throughout the 2022 campaign year. In fact, voters will learn that while Democrats delivered Indiana’s bright economic future, Republicans like Victoria Spartz divided communities with senseless and divisive culture wars.
Here’s a look at how the American Rescue Plan continues to deliver for the Hoosier State:
Muncie Star Press: Daleville Town Council members have been planning since 2021 to use solar energy to reduce the ongoing electric bill for the town. This year, with the aid of American Rescue Plan money, that plan is becoming reality.
The town is soliciting bidders for the installation of solar panels on the roof of the community’s new town hall and also on property at the Daleville Water Plant. Town Clerk Amy Roberts said a scheduled meeting for bid opening next week had to be reset to make sure the town complied with state law advertising requirements.
“It will save us $20,000,” council member Adam Jones said of the town’s annual electric bill.
By implementing the solar plan now, Daleville will be able to take advantage of “net metering,” which allows the municipality to sell excess power produced by solar panels to the electric utility at the town’s retail cost. Jones said that in the future, Indiana law will change and require electricity to be sold at the wholesale rate to utilities.
The town plans to spend about $200,000 of its $384,000 in ARP funding on the solar project. The remainder of the federal money will go for salary raises for the town’s nine employees, Jones said. The raises will be $2,000 to $3,000 per employee.
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