A bill to support community solar projects in Alaska appears close to becoming law

Multiple rows of star panels astatine Whistle Hill successful Soldotna. (Hunter Morrison/KDLL)

A measure to modulate organization star projects is moving quickly done nan Alaska Legislature and appears adjacent to becoming law. 

Community star projects are small-scale star farms that section ratepayers tin bargain into, successful speech for little energy bills. Advocates opportunity nan exemplary provides affordable, cleanable energy to residents successful different surviving situations. 

For much than a decade, Alaska homeowners person been permitted to instal star panels to powerfulness their homes and waste immoderate excess powerfulness backmost to their section utility, a believe called nett metering. 

Phil Wight, a argumentation expert pinch nan Alaska Public Interest Research Group, said that’s a awesome woody for homeowners. But he said, renters, group pinch shady roofs, aliases group who can’t spend to instal star panels don’t person nan aforesaid opportunity.

“Community star allows mundane Alaskans to put successful star that is astatine a centralized facility. People ain shares of it, and past get a proportionality of that powerfulness produced taken disconnected of their power bill.”

Wight worked pinch Anchorage Democratic Sen. Bill Wielechowski’s agency to draught nan bill, which passed nan Senate unanimously successful precocious April. 

Chugach Electric Association, nan largest inferior successful nan state, precocious had a organization star task approved by authorities regulators. Interior inferior Golden Valley Electric Association has besides discussed nan idea. Wight said passing nan measure would velocity up nan process of mounting up each project.

“We really want to create nan clear regulatory model successful nan marketplace for dozens of these accommodation to return off,” Wight said. “Rather than having a task present aliases location that has to spell done this lengthy reappraisal each time.” 

Wight said organization star could besides play a domiciled successful mitigating nan earthy state shortfall facing Alaska’s Railbelt.

The Environmental Protection Agency precocious awarded Tanana Chiefs Conference, Alaska Energy Authority and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation a full of $125 cardinal to deploy rooftop star and organization star and artillery retention projects successful nan state. 

“It’s important to walk this measure truthful that we tin return advantage of those national dollars that are coming in,” Wielechowski said. He added that he’s “pretty confident” nan measure will walk earlier nan extremity of this session. 

The measure is successful nan House Rules Committee awaiting a ballot connected nan House floor.