By james art Item authorizing the Mayor to execute a $500,000 cooperative agreement with Together Baton Rouge to participate in a solar energy pilot program will be discussed at Wednesday’s Metro Council meeting.
The solar program will partially fund three “community beacons” to help East Baton Rouge Parish residents during widespread power outages.
The program intends to engage 24 congregations and community institutions throughout East Baton Rouge Parish to create a network of sustainability centers called Community Lighthouses, each with commercial-scale solar power and battery backup capacity.
During a power outage, the proposed sites will begin operating immediately to assess need and provide assistance to the community.
In August 2023, the Metro Council authorized general fund funding to participate in the pilot program. The pilot phase, involving six lighthouse locations in the parish, will cost $2.2 million. TBR will contribute $1.1 million to the project.
Separate 2024 Capital Budget Amendment Item for 2024 Appropriate Roads and Streets bond refunds in an amount not to exceed $200 million and bond premiums valued at $23.2 million for MovEBR program will be discussed.
A half-cent parishwide sales tax funds the MovEBR program, which began in April 2019 and will run through March 2049. More than $1 billion has been invested in the program, according to documents presented to the Metro Council.
Twenty-eight MovEBR projects have been completed as of May 31. There are 27 in the construction phase and 75 in the pre-construction phase.
In addition, Metro Council will receive a report from SafeBR. The item was postponed from the August 28 meeting.
See the full agenda.