An item authorizing the mayor to execute a $500,000 cooperative endeavor agreement with Together Baton Rouge to participate in a pilot solar energy program will be discussed at Wednesday’s Metro Council meeting.
The solar program will partially fund three “community lighthouses” to assist East Baton Rouge Parish residents during widespread power outages.
The program intends to engage 24 congregations and community institutions across East Baton Rouge Parish to create a network of resiliency hubs called community lighthouses, each with commercial-scale solar power and backup battery capacity.
During power outages, the proposed sites will begin operating immediately to assess the need for 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, including six lighthouse locations across the parish, would cost $2.2 million. TBR would contribute $1.1 million to the project.
A separate item amending the 2024 Capital Budget to appropriate 2024 road and street refunding bonds in an amount not to exceed $200 million and bond premiums estimated at $23.2 million for the MovEBR program will be discussed.
A half-cent parishwide sales tax funds the MovEBR program, which began in April 2019 and will continue through March 2049. Over $1 billion has been invested in the program, according to documents submitted 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 pre-construction.
Additionally, the Metro Council will receive a report from SafeBR. The item was deferred from the Aug. 28 meeting.
