WELLSVILLE — Wellsville became the first municipality in Ohio to sign with Tempe, Arizona- based Scout Solar, a solar power company established in 2009.

Scout Solar has met with several cities and villages in Eastern Ohio including East Liverpool to show what they have to offer in terms of services and savings.

The contract between Scout Solar and Wellsville is for Scout Solar to provide the village of Wellsville government building with electricity through solar power at a less costly rate than through the power company.

Properties included in the contract include 1200 Main St., 100 Sixteenth St. and the Second and Twentieth streets pump houses.

The contract is for a 25-year period with a price of $0.14 per kilowatt with a 2% annual increase.

According to the contract, the system is expected to produce a baseline output of 561,960 kilowatt hours in the first year, with a degradation of one half of one percent (0.5%) per year.

Village Fiscal Officer Hoi Wah Yu said Scout Solar estimates the village’s savings to be approximately $1.16 million, and they will be given the savings up front to use for capital projects in the village.

Yu noted that Mayor Robert D. Boley has talked about using a portion of the funds for dredging the marina. Other possible uses for the money, according to Yu, include building a new garage, updating the flood wall and pump and paving the streets.

“I know for sure the marina is a priority because that project has been ongoing for the past two years,” Yu said.

The village has received $225,000 in grants which were used to update the marina facilities, along with a grant for $150,000 for the dredging, but the actual cost of the dredging project is estimated at $750,000.

“We are hoping to use some of that for the dredging and get some more grant funds because the marina will be a very good facility for all the residents and for people from all over to come enjoy,” Yu said. “Hopefully that will be a good free service and also bring people in for the businesses that are in town.”