Lincoln Select Board approves 20-year community center solar deal, adopts green procurement policy

LINCOLN -- April 13, 2026, Lincoln Select Board signs off on 20-year community center solar deal projecting $260,000 in savings. The board, which rotated its chair from Jennifer Glass to Jim Hutchinson, authorized Town Administrator Tim Higgins to execute a power purchase agreement with Select Energy for a 139-kW DC rooftop array generating about 168,000 kilowatt-hours a year and offsetting roughly 79% of building electricity needs. Solar consultant Beth Greenblatt told the board the fixed rate of 9.58 cents per kilowatt-hour over 20 years compares against an avoided cost of about 17 cents, yielding about $13,000 a year in average savings. Members also unanimously adopted an Environmentally Preferred Procurement Policy, conditionally authorized a Lincoln-Sudbury excess and deficiency transfer pending Finance Committee review, and deferred a draft civil immigration enforcement resolution modeled on Lexington's so town counsel and the police chief can confirm it matches current practice.