— from Ron Zee, Chair, Board of Supervisors. San Juan Conservation District —

Many thanks to everyone who has supported Community Solar for Our Schools! We have completed the solar array installation on Orcas High School, and installations are scheduled for Lopez, San Juan, and Shaw schools in the next couple of months.

The San Juan Islands Conservation District is gratified with the productive partnership we have developed with OPALCO regarding accelerating energy efficiency and community solar over the last sixteen months – all top natural resource priorities of the District. Thanks to the support from OPALCO, our community was successful in developing a county-wide energy plan and being selected to participate in the national Georgetown University Energy Prize competition.

It is important for our community to understand how we can reduce our carbon footprint, use energy more effectively, and do our part to lessen the impacts of climate change. Working together with OPALCO, the District has been able to reach out to a much wider audience by sponsoring an ongoing series of Energy Fairs on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan, as well as promotion of a Community Solar for our Schools program.

OPALCO has championed very successful energy retrofit and education programs, as well as local renewable energy through its MORE program and community solar initiatives. We are fortunate to have OPALCO as a forward-thinking, member-owned, local organization that continues to play a vital and constructive role in our community and our future.