As community solar boosters look to the California Legislature to revive the state’s stagnant market, the industry is out with a new study showing that community solar can help lower the state’s skyrocketing electricity costs.
According to the study shared with POLITICO’s E&E News, deploying more community solar paired with energy storage across the state could bring overall electricity prices down and reduce the need for investments in costly gas plants and transmission wires. Crucially, the study found, the cost reductions even extend to utility subscribers who don’t pay into community solar projects.
In all, report author George Prassas of Aurora Energy Research said that a relatively “conservative” deployment of 5.4 gigawatts of community solar and storage projects — enough to power more than 4 million homes — could produce $6.5 billion in benefits over 20 years, far exceeding their $3.2 billion cost.
Community solar projects are moderate-sized arrays that can serve a group of customers in a small area. Customers — like renters, low-income homeowners or businesses — can subscribe to a share of those projects without having to install their own rooftop panels.
