Plans to install solar panels at five Carson City schools can proceed on schedule, a district court judge ruled today.
Carson City District Court Sr. Judge Deborah Agosti said it was her opinion that the Carson City School District acted within the scope of the law when it came to a joint bid opportunity with the city of Sparks to install the panels.
On Monday the Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council filed a petition in Carson City District Court to stop progress on the nearly $11 million project.
The union argued the school district didn’t “bid” the project according to Nevada law and should therefore be required to re-bid the projects.
In court today, the school district successfully argued that it met bid requirements described under the law NRS 332.195 when it piggy-backed onto a contract established by the City of Sparks and Hamilton Solar for a similar solar project this year.
Judge Agosti also noted that the NRS law is ambiguous and therefore encouraged both sides to take some of their concerns to the Nevada State Legislature which convenes Feb. 7.
The Carson City School District solar project is one of many being built by public agencies within the state. The district estimates that about $400,000 in annual electrical cost savings would be available once the solar projects are completed.
A rebate program sponsored by NV Energy is expected to pay for approximately 92 percent of the cost of the district’s project if completed by July 20, 2011.
Had the judge ruled in favor of the union, the school district would have been in jeopardy of losing the NV Energy solar panel project rebate extended to it. In all the district will pay about $950,000. NV Energy will pick up the rest of the $11 million project.
“There was a lot riding on this,” said Carson City School District Superintendent Richard Stokes. “It’s good news for us and it means that we are on schedule to meet the July 20 deadline.”
