Despite decades of advocacy from businesses, climate-concerned citizens, and scientists urging for a rapid transition to clean energy, solar remains out of reach for many Idaho Power customers.

That's why many conservation and environmental groups were excited when Idaho Power announced its Clean Energy Your Way subscription program as part of its goal to reach 100% carbon-free energy by 2045. It's a positive step, but it doesn’t go far enough.

Idaho Power’s subscription program will allow customers to opt in to receive some of their power from a newly-built renewable resource. However, the program will cost customers additional money each month and the new resource will still be controlled by the utility. Idahoans shouldn't settle for utility ownership and control of solar resources, which is why a coalition of environmental groups in Idaho are asking Idaho Power to work directly with interested community groups to create a community owned solar program.

In a community owned solar program, a solar developer or local business installs a solar array on a community building such as a school or a church. Then, local customers can rent or purchase solar panels and receive both the energy and financial investment benefits from that panel, even if they don’t live on the same property as the solar array. In this program, communities decide where the solar is sited and how much solar they want to install.

Community ownership of solar energy has many benefits. Unlike energy production under the traditional utility model which sends wealth to out-of-state shareholders, community ownership gives communities local, democratic control over the source and cost of their power. It generates local jobs and investment income while providing an innovative way for low-income folks to receive clean energy. Community solar installations also increase the reliability of the electric grid, making our communities more resilient to wildfires and other changing weather conditions.

Community owned solar is also an opportunity to address historic energy injustices. Our country’s energy systems have historically placed the harms of energy production on low-income communities and communities of color while sending profits generated by energy production to the wealthy. For example, low-income communities and communities of color spend a much higher percentage of their income on electric bills than wealthier individuals, but they are also much more likely to feel the detrimental health effects of the polluting coal and gas plants that produce electricity. Low income, rural communities are also more likely to be negatively affected by utility infrastructure siting (such as transmission lines) but are not likely to receive the financial returns on that infrastructure.

Community owned solar gives control over energy production back to the people. It grows our clean energy portfolio and promotes a resilient electric grid. Most importantly, it represents an innovative, democratic, and just way forward for electricity generation in our changing economy and environment.

Anyone interested in community-owned solar is encouraged to send a comment to the Idaho PUC (reference case # IPC-E-21-40) urging them to require Idaho Power to work with community groups to develop community-owned solar. The comment deadline is May 12, 2022.

Idaho Power’s long-standing battle over customer-owned solar net-metering will resurface again this summer when the results of its solar value study are released. Advocates will urge people to use their voice to help ensure a fair valuation for customer owned solar in Idaho.

Emma Sperry, JD,

Climate Fellow,

Idaho Conservation League