Community Energy Teams & Xcel Energy Come To Terms On Community Solar Program
The Clean Energy Collective (one of the top community solar energy providers in the US), SunShare, and Community Energy have come to terms with Xcel Energy concerning the utility company’s community solar gardens program in Colorado.
The new agreement between the companies and organizations will see “up to 60 megawatts (MW) of additional community solar allocation” — establishing “the level of community solar capacity the regulated utility will acquire in its Solar*Rewards Community program for 2016.”
The new agreement also alters the bill credit for commercial and industrial rate classes — as well as adding co-location specifications. There’s also a new “Xcel Energy carve-out for low-income households and non-profits.”
“We are pleased to have worked closely with Xcel Energy to help ensure the Solar*Rewards Community program is a win for everyone,” stated Paul Spencer, founder and CEO of Clean Energy Collective. “This process demonstrates how successful collaboration between utilities and the solar industry can lead to more choice for customers, and good business for both the utility and their solar partners.”
As it stands, the Clean Energy Collective has developed or is in the process of developing over 90 “RooflessSolar” projects, in cooperation with 25 different utility companies in 11 different states — altogether totaling over 160 MW of community solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity.
Here are details on the agreement with Xcel Energy (still to be OK’d by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission) via Solar Power World Online:
- Xcel Energy will acquire between 6.5 MW and 30 MW of community solar capacity through the Solar*Rewards Community Program for the 2014 allotment and 2016 allotment, seeking to add the maximum for each.
- Adopts language for the 2016 RFP specifying distance and capacity parameters for co-locating multiple community solar facilities.
- For the 2015 RFP, community solar developers may elect to receive a $0.03/kWh REC provided that customer bill credits are also calculated on a class-average basis.
- Permits the application of the class-average bill credit for commercial and industrial rates instead of a customer-specific rate calculation, allowing Xcel Energy to revise the rules for further program expansion and smoother implementation for both participants and non-participants.
- Provides Xcel Energy ownership of up to 4 megawatts of community solar capacity to exclusively serve low-income customers and non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations.
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