Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

Are utilities co-opting community solar? Critics question term's use

Energy News Network: Last month, Omaha’s public utility unveiled details for a program that will help customers buy solar power without having to install their own panels.

Omaha Public Power District’s community solar program follows a year of stakeholder meetings, but some critics say it’s a stretch to call it “community solar” because participants won’t share enough of the financial benefits.

“It’s not really community solar,” said Don Preister, a customer who recently put solar panels on his home. A true community solar program, in his view, would mean, “I own shares in the system, I get the offset, I get the tax advantages… I don’t just subscribe to a system by a utility. I’m an investor, an owner, and have a say in the process and get the direct benefits as they occur.”

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