April 11, 2022 – Eagle, Colorado – Community partners including Eagle County, Holy Cross Energy (HCE), Walking Mountains Science Center, and the Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund (APSF) have come together to honor the legacy of Adam Palmer, the late Sustainable Communities Director for Eagle County, Town of Eagle council member, and HCE board member.
A new community solar garden will be constructed to honor Palmer’s passion for clean energy and allow previously under-represented groups access to solar energy. The new solar garden will allow for the expansion of HCE’s Income-Qualified Community Solar program. Members will have the opportunity to apply to receive credit from the output from the array applied to their account.
Once complete, HCE anticipates the array will provide up to 50 of their income-qualified members with up to a 50 percent reduction on their electric bill.
“HCE is committed to enhancing the quality of life for all members of our community, including those whose access to clean energy may be out of reach financially, said Jenna Weatherred, Vice President of Member and Community Relations at HCE. “The Adam Palmer Solar Garden will expand the capacity of our Income-Qualified Community Solar program to 90 members.”
The solar garden, constructed using PowerField Energy’s unique racking system, will be located at HCE’s Cooley Mesa Operations Center. The system is portable and has the ability to be moved in the future. Community partners will take part in a “barn-raising” style event and ribbon cutting in late April.
The solar garden will also assist in Eagle County’s climate action goals of providing its citizens with 80 percent clean energy by 2050.
“Adam was a strong leader within Eagle County and advocated throughout his career for 100 percent clean, renewable electricity for our region,” said John Gitchell, Environmental Manager for Eagle County. “This solar garden supports Adam’s personal mantra of ‘Clean Power’ and supports Eagle County’s climate goals by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and providing energy assistance for households that need it the most.”
After Palmer’s passing, his family, the Town, and the greater Eagle community worked to set up the Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund as a way to live in his legacy.
“The Palmer Fund’s mission is to spur community and economic development through the lens of sustainability by establishing a revolving loan fund to support projects with direct carbon-reduction impact,” said Laura Hartman, APSF Director.
There will be two after-hours events hosted by APSF and open to all members of the public on Wednesday, April 27, and Thursday, April 28.
Beginning in September, HCE members may apply to participate in the Income-Qualified Community Solar program and receive the output from the solar garden for a two-year period.
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About Holy Cross Energy
Founded in 1939, Holy Cross Energy (HCE) is a not-for-profit rural electric co-op providing safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy and services that improve the quality of life for more than 45,000 members in western Colorado. HCE was built by and belongs to the diverse communities and member-owners we serve. Membership is open to everyone in our service territory, regardless of race, religion, age, disability, language, political perspective, or socioeconomic status. HCE is committed to leading the responsible transition to a clean energy future. Its 100×30 goal is to provide members with 100% clean energy by 2030 and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. For more information on HCE, please visit www.holycross.com.
About Eagle County:
Eagle County Government is a full-service county, with over 30 departments and offices serving over 55,000 constituents. It is located on the western slope of Colorado in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Learn more at www.eaglecounty.us.
About Walking Mountains Science Center
Walking Mountains Science Center’s mission is to awaken a sense of wonder and inspire environmental stewardship and sustainability through natural science education. As a community leader in environmental stewardship and climate action, Walking Mountains spearheads many initiatives in the Eagle River Valley including the Climate Action Collaborative and energy efficiency and assistance programs.
About the Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund
The Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund (Palmer Fund) was first envisioned in the summer of 2021 after the tragic death of Adam Palmer, Andy Jessen, and Seth Bossung in an avalanche near Silverton, CO on February 1st, 2021. Adam was a champion for sustainability as an Eagle Town Council member and beyond. We intend to honor Adam’s legacy by supporting local economic and community development through the lens of sustainability. The Palmer Fund designed to raise and disperse funds towards achieving “Net Zero by 2030” within the Town of Eagle.
About PowerField Energy
PowerField Energy, Inc. was incorporated in Virginia in 2017 by energy industry veterans. Believing that simplicity is powerful and affordable clean energy is transformative, we developed the PowerRack®, a revolutionarily simple solar panel racking system that requires no assembly, no tools, no digging, no concrete, and no unique skills or training. PowerRack solar arrays go up in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the cost of other systems. The PowerField executive team has over 100 years of experience in energy, business, and emerging markets, and they are on a mission to radically simplify access to clean energy around the world. To learn more visit www.powerfieldenergy.com.
