Would a collaborative solar energy farm work in Decorah?

The City of Decorah, Winneshiek County, Decorah Schools, Luther College, Winneshiek Medical Center and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning several years ago banded together to create Metronet, the system that provides high-speed Internet access to the six entities over a shared network?

Could the same general concept work for solar energy generation in Winneshiek County?  Winneshiek Energy District Director Andy Johnson on Monday presented the idea to county supervisors.

Johnson says that while the county government, city government, school district and other groups could install their own individual solar energy systems, it makes more sense for all the groups to band together to build an off-site shared solar energy farm.

Johnson isn't asking local governmental groups for a commitment yet--just to sign on to a letter asking Alliant Energy for a meeting.  There are several questions Johnson wants answered before pushing the concept of the shared solar energy system--mainly questions about how Alliant would handle its interconnection with the system.

Supervisors took no immediate action Monday on Johnson's request, but were favorable in their comments.  Supervisor John Beard said he would like the idea of having solar energy that would work with minimal use of land.