The day, March 9, had finally arrived. Representatives of the Co-op were about to ask the Maryland State Legislature for help in funding solar panels to be installed on the Co-op’s roof. Ushered into the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and Appropriations Committee meeting room by a state trooper, Barbara Ford, president of the Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket and Pharmacy, and Dorrie Bates, political liaison for the Rays on the Roof Project, gave a spirited one minute and thirty-seven second discussion of the case for the solar roof and array. Having lost 23 seconds of their allotted two minutes from everyone settling into place, Bates didn’t spare the horses in her remaining time.
She began by acknowledging that the committee had a full day so her job was to make a compelling and memorable case for the project. She launched into the numbers, highlighting the output, a 25 percent savings on the Co-op’s electricity bill (i.e. approximately $37,000 per year). Then she quickly jumped to the fact that with the $350K from the bond bill they were requesting, the Co-op will pay off the initial costs and continue to capture the savings, enabling the Co-op to pay for the next roof/array system, making this not only a responsible, energy-efficient green project, but an economically renewable one at that.
Bates highlighted the $345,000 raised in just under five weeks as an indication of very wide community involvement and mentioned that there was a bake sale going on as she spoke. She ended her presentation by reminding the committee that their support of the bond bill will have a positive impact as long as the sun continues to shine.
One Foot Forward
Now the Co-op waits for the outcome. In fact, just getting before the legislature was no small feat. Only about one in nine applications is accepted but reaching the committee means the idea has a considerably higher chance. Passing that initial scrutiny is a tough hurdle already successfully leapt with the help of sponsors State Senator Paul Pinski and State Delegates Tawanna Gaines and Anne Healey. Bills that are heard are funded about 90 percent of the time, though not always for the full amount requested. It is likely that the first intimation of success will come at the end of March with funds becoming available in the summer.
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