WARRINGTON Borough Council will buy its own solar farm in Gloucestershire to meet its energy requirements.
The authority's business case for the purchase and development of the site in the south west was approved by the executive board on Monday.
The 'green energy' venture is being carried out in partnership with Rockfire Capital.
Deputy council leader Cllr Russ Bowden said the solar farm 'will be used to meet the council's energy needs'.
He added that the experience gained in developing the site could enable it to 'potentially build solar farms in Warrington in the future, if suitable sites can be found'.
The borough's total electricity needs are 22.8mw per year, which comes at a cost of £2.7 million.
Any surplus energy produced could be sold back into the National Grid.
The authority's current electricity supply contract comes to an end in October next year – after that it will begin buying electricity from the new site.
In 2015, the council led on the structuring of a solar bond investment with Thurrock and Newham councils, which involved the purchase of the UK's second largest solar farm in Swindon.
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