A new solar park in Saratoga Springs is expected to reduce the city's energy bill, saving taxpayers money in the process. Our Matt Hunter has more from the Spa City.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Unveiled Tuesday by local leaders, the city of Saratoga Springs' new solar array blankets more than 14 acres at the former Weibel Avenue Landfill. 

"This is a great way to repurpose that land, and as a result, we are going to save taxpayer money on utility costs and we are doing our part to reduce carbon emissions," said Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan.

After ground was broken in April, the city's share of the construction was paid for by a grant from NYSERDA's New York Sun program, which aims to expand solar power across the state.

"This project in this area is one of the largest,” said New York Sun Director David Sandbank. “Having said that, there are many projects like this that are going to move forward in the near future."

The 3,000 megawatt hours produced each year are enough electricity to power about 2,800 homes. In this case, it will generate about 40 percent of the energy used at municipal buildings like city hall and the two firehouses, reducing the city's annual $600,000 electricity bill.

"A conservative estimate would be about $100,000, maybe, a year," Madigan said of the potential savings.

"This is the essence of sustainability, and we are excited to build on this progress,” said Harry Moran, executive director of Sustainable Saratoga, a local non-profit that pushed for the project.

The nearly 8,000 panels are owned by Onyx Renewable Partners, which built the array and sells the power to the city at a discounted rate. Madigan says the savings could open the door for future projects that provide power to more than just municipal buildings.

"We are looking at potentially doing a community solar project, which would be something that may be on the scale, but available for residents and small businesses," she said.