Payson Roundup

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is scheduled to speak at the groundbreaking ceremony for Payson Unified School District’s solar energy project at 3 p.m., Friday, July 16 at Julia Randall Elementary School, 902 W. Main St.

The event is open to the public. School Board President Rory Huff, Superintendent Casey O’Brien, Payson Mayor Kenny Evans and representatives from project sponsors, Kennedy Partners and Arizona Public Service (APS) will also attend the groundbreaking.

PUSD is one of a handful of districts in Arizona moving toward becoming self sufficient in its energy management and consumption.

The JRE project, scheduled to be operational by December 2010, is the first of a three-campus solar project in Payson that will eventually generate 1.4 megawatts of power and fulfill most of the district’s electricity needs.

Funding for the project is a mix of APS incentives and private investment capital paid off over the duration of the project.

The solar project, designed by Phoenix-based Kennedy Partners and DLR Group, not only will provide power to Payson schools, but also will create much-needed shade on the school campuses. The solar projects will also give Payson schoolteachers opportunities to implement renewable energy curriculum in their classrooms.