By Eric Curl
Feb. 28, 2026 – The city of Savannah is planning to expand its municipal solar program with a proposed installation at Enmarket Arena, according to a Feb. 24 memo outlining the project.
The Enmarket Arena Solar Project would expand the city’s current Solar Energy Purchase Agreement (SEPA) program with Cherry Street Energy in order to advance progress toward Savannah’s 100% clean energy goals.
Under the proposal, the project would be implemented through a 25-year agreement with Cherry Street, which would own, install, maintain, repair and eventually decommission the solar equipment at no cost to the city, according to the city manager’s memo to the city council.
The SEPA would begin at a rate of $0.1090 per kilowatt-hour, and produce net savings compared to using just grid-supplied electricity.
While Oak View Group (OVG), the arena’s operator, is responsible for utility payments and would benefit from the direct cost savings, the city would retain ownership of all environmental attributes associated, including associated emissions reductions, City Manager Jay Melder said in the memo.
Melder reported that Savannah’s existing solar portfolio includes 27 municipal sites that produced 2,108 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy in 2025, saving more than $100,000 between July 2024 and July 2025.
The proposed Enmarket Arena installation is estimated to generate approximately 917 MWh annually — representing a 44% increase in municipal solar production, Melder said.
The project was introduced to Office of Sustainability staff in late 2024. As part of due diligence, Cherry Street commissioned an independent structural analysis by Walter P Moore & Associates, which confirmed that the solar installation would not impact the arena roof’s structural performance.
OVG leadership supports the project, and the city’s Real Estate, Capital Improvement Projects and Facilities departments have all been consulted, Melder said.
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