Board discusses solar metering and reporting issues; decommissioning liability raised

District staff told trustees that reports pulled from the power company are returning usage as zero for larger meters because solar production credits are being shown in the export/credit fields rather than the underlying usage. A staff member said the contracted firm managing the account has requested correct reports twice and that work is ongoing to resolve whether the issue is a reporting error at the power company or a metering problem.
Staff said preliminary modeling shows some savings from a potential solar arrangement but not large savings. Trustees asked whether the district should set aside funds for future decommissioning; staff said contracts they have seen typically require the solar owner to remove equipment at the end of useful life, but raised a concern about the scenario where a company goes bankrupt and leaves panels on site. Staff said they do not have definitive answers on recycling or disposal and that some panels have been buried in fields in other cases.
No formal action was taken; trustees asked staff to continue pursuing accurate power-usage reports and to clarify contract language about removal and decommissioning with potential solar partners.
Discussion only: solar metering/reporting discrepancies, modest projected savings and whether the district should plan for decommissioning costs. Direction: staff to obtain correct usage reports from the power company or meter vendor and to review decommissioning language in potential contracts. Formal action: none recorded.