Husch Blackwell provided legal counsel to the School Sisters of Saint Francis, an international congregation of Catholic sisters, in connection with an agreement for the installation of a 375-kilowatt solar system at a Milwaukee retirement and healthcare facility owned and operated by the congregation. The project will involve more than 1,000 solar panels and is one of the largest institutional rooftop solar installations in the City of Milwaukee, according to a release issued by Arch Electric, one of the project’s partners.
A Husch Blackwell team led by partner Hal Karas assisted the School Sisters of Saint Francis in all phases of the project, which involved a bond purchase, a power-purchase agreement, and a rooftop lease to an affiliate of Arch Electric. The Husch Blackwell team also helped develop the project specifications, including warranties and provisions concerning solar credits.
“This project demonstrates not only a deep commitment to environmental stewardship, but it also makes a great deal of economic sense,” said Karas. “I think we have broken new ground, putting in motion a project of rare size for a non-profit host site, and the fact that we were able to do it using tax credits.”
The School Sisters of Saint Francis project partners include Plymouth, Wisconsin-based Arch Electric, Legacy Solar Co-op of Wisconsin, and panel maker Seraphim Solar USA Manufacturing, Inc. of Jackson, Mississippi.