KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KERO) — Have you ever wanted to use solar energy but haven’t had a place of your own to install panels? A new community solar project in Inyokern, SoCal Edison customers can sign up to receive solar energy without having to make any modifications to where they live.
- A new community solar farm in Inyokern is looking for participants.
- The farm plans on becoming functional this upcoming July.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“It’s a great way to get solar energy if you can’t get solar panels on your house, or if you are renting, or if for some other reason you just don’t want solar,” Justin Powers, East Kern Outreach Coordinator for the project, told me.
Powers explained that instead of the solar farm selling energy directly to the grid SoCal Edison runs, they sell their energy directly to those that sign up. Participants have to be SoCal Edison customers, but they will receive savings on their utilities.
“We’ll look at the last 12 months of your energy usage, allocate you a portion of the community solar farm and that portion we allocate to you, you’ll save ten percent based on what you would normally pay to California Edison.”
Powers told me they aim to supply ninety percent of participants' energy needs.
The solar farm, which is currently under construction and is planned to start running this summer, provides opportunities for low-income customers to receive solar energy, without any installation or fees.
“There’s no fees for signing up, there’s no cancellation fees, no fees at all. There’s no long term commitment either,” Powers said.
“It is a 27 megawatt project and we aim to cover about 3,00 households with that.”
Community Solar Farms have been boosted by the California Legislature. In 2022, Assembly Bill 2316 passed, requiring the California Public Utilities Commision to assess new community solar projects that have a focus on low income customers. This project is for -
“Any resident within the southern california Edison territory, anywhere that they serve.”
You can head to this website to learn more and sign up for the project.
“I think this is a really good opportunity for east Kern, usually we see projects built out here that are designed to benefit los angeles and the other metro areas, but this is a really great way for us to get a great renewable energy project, here in our backyard that we get to benefit form.”
The project is set to be completed and providing customers with energy by July.
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