Last year, OPPD formed a community solar project team in direct response to the interest in renewable energy expressed by customers.
Jeff Karloff, of the Community Solar Project Team, says the project aims to look at the market cost of solar and give that benefit back to the customer.
Karloff says OPPD imagines offering different subscription levels so customers may decide whether they want 10% or maybe 50% of their power coming from solar energy.
He says market research indicates there is a need for community solar.
OPPD also learned that people who don’t want community solar don’t want their bill impacted by those who do.
Right now, it’s undecided as to where the solar panels would be installed.
"We went out for a request for proposals and when they came back, there were three areas, locations that were proposed. And so we are working with those right now. I can’t really say what locations those are but they’re essentially plots of land that we could fit a moderately sized community solar project on.”
In implementing this vision, Karloff says OPPD will have to proactively engage and communicate with stakeholders as well as strengthen the public power advantage of affordable and reliable electricity.