With the lure of a hearty breakfast, the Copper Mountain College foundation hosted a public groundbreaking ceremony to mark the institutions’ 20th Anniversary Alternative Energy Project. Reporter Heather Clisby was there…
With parking lot solar panels as a hopeful backdrop, Copper Mountain College (CMC) hosted a public groundbreaking ceremony to mark the 20th Anniversary Alternative Energy Project. The late Susan Luckie Reilly, a local conservationist and founder of the Morongo Basin Conservation Association, passed away in 2017 at the age of 101 and gifted the CMC with half a million dollars to help fund a solar energy project. In addition to the installation of solar panels, the college will also add EV charging stations, upgrade facilities, and involve CMC students in the research and development of additional projects.
Craig Mesenbrink, senior project development manager at Schneider Electric, stated that the solar project would reduce CMC’s utility costs by 15 percent while saving 197,000 kilowatt hours annually. Total cost of the project is $1.1 million dollars so the fundraising continues. CMC Superintendent/President Dr. Daren Otten announced in his remarks that he had been handed a $1,000 check toward that fundraising effort. The project remains approximately $211,000 short of its goal.
Those looking to support this project can donate online and contributions will be matched 4:1 by the foundation. Look for the donation link in this story at Z1077fm.com.
