Op-Ed: New Jersey Must Protect Low-Income Solar

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Yesterday, I sung the praises of Vote Solar as an organization that does the work behind the scenes to make your job possible. I listed several of their recent efforts and asked you to support their Equinox fundraiser on October 18.

Then I sat down at my computer this morning and found an article in NJ Spotlight by – you guessed it – Vote Solar (and our friends at GRID Alternatives) fighting for low-income solar

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(As a writer, I must also say I’m always impressed when I see a Vote Solar piece because they are not only poignant and on point, but they’re also so well written. So kudos to the team there for knowing how to construct a good piece of writing.)

The article comes on the heels of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signing into law plans for a community solar pilot which, as the piec e points out, is good on so many levels. It should bring at least $5 billion in new investment to the state and create jobs in a state that already has a thriving solar industry.

But with the planned sunset of the solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program, it would be easy to forget about low-income communities when it comes to community solar projects – and Vote Solar and GRID Alternatives want to make sure they continue to be part of the discussion. As usual, Vote Solar doesn’t just talk about making a difference; they have a plant to do what they’re suggesting. As the article states:

While the proposed rules include strong targets for LMI participation, we will continue to advocate for financial incentives to support projects for low-income communities. This is especially important given the sunset of the New Jersey Solar Renewable Energy Credit program. Any SREC successor should also include targeted support for low-income projects, as states like Massachusetts have implemented.

This is more evidence that Vote Solar is one of the most critical organizations in the solar industry. Articles like this bring solar home not just to the industry, but to those outside the industry who might be willing to support us. Outreach like this is why the solar industry continues to expand beyond its traditional constituencies.

So throw a little money into the tip jar to support the Vote Solar Equinox fundraiser. They do the work behind the scenes that you never see but that makes your job immensely easier.

Washington Unveils Community Solar Rules Despite Concerns From Advocates

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Community solar is taking the United States by storm, and it’s increasingly being used by states to provide access to solar to non-traditional solar constituencies like low-income and communities of color. And as Utility Dive reported this week, Washington is the latest state to announce the rules it will use to govern these projects.

To say they are a bit byzantine is an understatement, and solar advocates in the state told Utility Dive that they’re afraid the new regulations will have the opposite effect than the one intended.

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…the regulation comes from a place of concern over consumer protections and against for-profit entities entering the market and “overpromising the benefits of community solar to potential customers,” [Jaimes Valdez, policy manager at Spark NW] said.

However, “especially the housing agencies that are trying to develop community solar are overly burdened by incentives intended to apply to larger companies that are more sophisticated,” he added. “We hope there can be a longer term view of what community solar means outside of this incentive program and ways for people to actively participate in a renewable energy future … including communities of color that haven’t traditionally been able to access that solar.”

One of the problems is that the state incentive for community solar is capped at $110 million by statute, and the number of project currently in the queue have put it close to hitting its cap.

As advocates told Utility Dive,

Spark NW, along with NW Energy Coalition and Solar Installers of Washington, fears that the new regulations may prevent smaller entities, such as affordable housing groups or nonprofits, from clearing the layers of red tape needed to apply.

While Washington’s heart may be in the right place in trying to protect consumers, making community solar more difficult to access – and limiting the entities that can do it to large companies and/or utilities – defeats the democratizing (small ‘d’) effects community solar is trying to achieve. It’s time for the legislature to go back to the drawing board and rethink its approach to community solar so more people have the opportunity to participate in it.

Organic Valley Launches Community Solar Projects In Six Communities

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

It’s nice to see companies start putting their money where their mouth is.

Organic Valley, America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand, today announced details of the first-of-its-kind community solar partnership launched last year. The project enables Organic Valley to share the benefits of solar energy with its rural neighbors and become the largest food company in the world to be 100 percent renewably powered.

In October 2017, the company ambitiously committed to achieve 100 percent renewable power at its corporate facilities. Since pioneering this new model of community solar development, Organic Valley has unlocked solar beyond its needs.

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In the spirit of cooperation, 13 communities across the Midwest will also benefit from this partnership, including six in Organic Valley’s project portfolio. Beyond the company’s 12.3 megawatt (MWdc) project portfolio, an additional 19 MWdc will be constructed, resulting in over 31 MWdc of new solar in the region, including a 33 percent increase in the state of Wisconsin. Partners for the remaining renewable energy credits will be announced later this year.

The six communities within Organic Valley’s portfolio that will benefit directly from the community solar partnership include Arcadia, Cashton, La Farge, Merrillan, and Viola in Wisconsin; and St. Charles in Minnesota. When the projects begin generating power next year, the Arcadia array, sized at 6.78 MW, will be the largest solar array in the state of Wisconsin.

Every member of these communities will benefit from stable and low electricity rates and the environmental benefits of renewable power for decades to come. Nearly 10,000 residents in these communities will soon have access to the power of the sun.

“Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative with deep roots in the rural Midwest, so it makes sense that we would work together to create new sources of energy right here at home that can be shared by all,” said George Siemon, CEO and a founding farmer of Organic Valley. “We are committed to achieving 100 percent renewable electricity for our cooperative, but also sharing the bounty of solar electricity with rural communities where we live and work.”

Bronx Community Solar Farm Starts Taking Subscriptions

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo has set lofty solar goals for his state as it tries to catch up to its Northeastern neighbors like Massachusetts and New Jersey. And in the Bronx, one organization is trying to help him meet them.

CleanChoice Energy, a renewable energy company that provides wind and solar energy products to customers across the country, has opened subscriber enrollment for the Altus Bronx Community Solar Farm. The new Community Solar Farm is located on a commercial building in the Parkchester neighborhood in the Bronx. With space available to more than 150 residents, it is one of the largest Community Solar enrollments ever opened in the Bronx. Residents across the Bronx, and all of New York City, can support local solar and save up to 5% off their utility bills by becoming subscribers to the Altus Community Solar Farm.

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“Bringing Community Solar to the Bronx is hugely important. The Altus Bronx Community Solar Farm means that more people than ever can access clean solar energy while saving money on their utility bills,” said Tom Matzzie, CEO of CleanChoice Energy. “Community Solar allows New Yorkers to support local solar without a big upfront investment or a home construction project—instead they can sign up online in just a few minutes and save money on their utility bills.”

Altus Bronx Community Solar subscribers can live in any part of New York City and will receive credit on their electric bill for the power generated by the solar panels at the site. CleanChoice’s platform connects people to local community solar projects, allowing customers to sign-up in less than five minutes, and manages ongoing customer engagement–all fully digital and completely online. CleanChoice Energy Community Solar subscribers pay no upfront costs, have no maintenance, and do not need to own their roof—allowing anyone to support local solar even if they rent or do not have a roof suitable for solar panels.