Community Solar: Affordable, Local Energy for All

Community solar holds the promise of bringing affordable, local solar power to the 49% of American families and 48% of businesses that can't use or can't afford rooftop solar. It's not just about clean energy, it's about economic equity. It's a big deal, and the way it works is pretty simple.

Community or shared, solar projects are centrally located solar projects that produce electricity for people and businesses from the surrounding community who "subscribe" to them. Because community solar is local, it creates jobs and economic development opportunities, makes communities more self-reliant and resilient, and enables people to switch to solar without having to install solar panels on their roof. Community solar is more accessible, too: renters can subscribe, and it can decrease utility bills for people and families who are struggling to make ends meet.

We're not the only ones who believe that community solar is a powerful solution—the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) projects that community solar will provide between 1/3 to 1/2 of all the distributed solar energy produced in our country by 2020.

That's why Groundswell committed today to convene at least five new community solar projects as a part of the White House Summit of the National Community Solar Partnership.

And that's just the beginning. We build community power, and we can't wait to get to work bringing community solar to the people we serve.

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Michelle Moore is the CEO of Groundswell.