The Future of Community Solar

75% of American households do not have access to solar power. Residents that do not own their own home or who live in apartments are unable to host a solar system and reap the benefits. So, what’s the solution? Community solar. Community solar projects subscribe multiple customers, including households, businesses, municipal buildings, and community organizations. These subscribers receive energy from an offsite solar facility in exchange for discounts on their electricity bills. Subscribing to community solar allows customers who might not otherwise be able to go solar to receive clean energy. 

At the National Community Solar Partnership summit, the DOE laid out plans to try to help meet the Biden administration’s goal of powering 5 million homes by 2025 with community solar – with plans to develop 20 GW of new capacity. Meeting this target will require an unprecedented amount of community solar growth. By the end of 2021, 4 GW of community solar had been installed across the country. The latest Wood Mackenzie Community Solar Outlook Report forecasts 4.5 GW to come online in the next five years under current market conditions. The industry has its work cut out for it to reach DOE’s targets.

In today's episode, we are joined by 3 bright lights in the community solar sector. Jeff Cramer is the CEO of CCSA - the Coalition for Community Solar Access. CCSA is a national coalition of businesses and non-profits, looking to increase access to solar for all American households. Kacie Peters also joins us – she’s the Director of Industry Relationships at Pivot Energy, a solar provider that develops, builds and manages solar projects. We’ve also got Rachel Goldstein, Solar Research Analyst at Wood Mackenzie, to offer insight into the Wood Mac Community Solar Outlook Report and examine the policies and market drivers that are fueling solar growth.

What will community solar look like in 10 years? What share of clean energy will be met by community solar? What federal and state-level investment is needed to reach the Administration’s aggressive emission goals? What political reform helps pave the road to more access to community solar? How much can families save on their electricity bills by subscribing to community solar? The team tackle these questions and more in this enlightening episode.

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