Local News

PUD Still Looking for Solar Participants

Oct 29, 2019

The Sunny Okanogan Community Solar project, facilitated by Okanogan County PUD, needs more participants to express their interest in the project or it may not move forward.

PUD staff estimate that at least a few hundred participants will be needed to build the project, but at the time of this writing, only 74 interest forms had been turned in.

The community solar project has been approved for state incentives at $0.14 per kilowatt-hour of production. The incentive program has since closed, so if the project is moved to a later date, incentives will no longer be available. If there is enough interest from the community, the project could be as large as 74.4 kilowatts, which is about the equivalent of powering 7-9 average homes.

PUD customers, including both residents and businesses, can buy units of the project. Their buy-in contribution will include the costs of both constructing the project as well as maintaining it.

Those who participate will receive an annual check from the state for the incentives, plus a credit on their utility bill for their share of the production. There is also a possibility for participants to receive a federal tax credit.

Although participants will see a total return on their initial cost in several years, the project can also enable those who have wanted to participate in clean, renewable solar, but would not have the opportunity because of the large initial costs, poor solar production on their property or other reasons.

The minimum buy-in has not yet been determined. There may be a program for low-income participants, due to grant funding. More details will become available once interest has been determined from the community.

Staff are asking any customers who are interested in participating to go to the webpage, www.okanoganpud.org/community-solar, and fill out an interest form through a link on the bottom of the page. More information on the project is also posted on the webpage. Customers can also get the form at a PUD branch office.

Project organizers can also be reached at communitysolar@okpud.org.