eGreen Community Solar Project

Year

2018

Organisation

Citizens Energy Corporation

Description

In California, the Citizens Energy Corporation, under the leadership of former Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, has developed a unique model to reduce electricity bills for low-income households to a cost of 2 cents per kilowatt-hour, using profits from a commercial transmission line. The model includes a partnership with the local utility to integrate more renewables into the grid while cutting down on fossil-fuel emissions and help those that are less fortunate.


Highlights:

  • Allowing 15.000 low income households to save over $500 a year on their electricity bill ($172 million in savings over the 23-year project)
  • Low-rate renewable (solar) energy is made affordable to families in need
  • 30-megawatt solar array built on land leased from the local utility, allocating all of the lower to low income households in the area

 

Main information:
In Imperial County in California, Citizens Energy Corporation uses the profits from their ownership of the Sunrise PowerLink, a high voltage green energy line, to bring down the cost of energy for low income families. Two unique features of this project include using profits earned from a transmission line to buy renewable energy for the poor, and the local utility’s willingness to virtually net-meter the power, at cost, to their low-income ratepayers.

 

RGI gratefully acknowledges the EU LIFE funding support:

EU LIFE funding support Logo

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the LIFE Programme. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.