Xcel Energy has selected Pivot Energy to develop a 41 MW community solar portfolio in Colorado, exclusively serving income-qualified households beneath an established income threshold. The eight projects are located across Boulder, Logan, Mesa, Morgan and Weld Counties.
By offering affordable community solar subscriptions to income-qualified households, Pivot Energy will be able to service groups that have historically been left out of the clean energy transition and that face many of the most adverse climate impacts. This community solar portfolio demonstrates how solar development can be leveraged to generate positive impacts beyond emissions reductions and environmental benefits.
“We are pleased to be working with Pivot Energy on this community solar portfolio,” says Emmett Romine, vice president of customer solutions and innovation for Xcel Energy. “Subscribing to these community solar gardens will bring energy-bill savings to our income-qualified customers and help them be part of the clean-energy transformation.”
The development of an income-qualified portfolio of this size is possible in Colorado because of the state’s renewable energy regulatory landscape, which is designed to address energy equity issues while fulfilling the public demand for a transition to clean, emissions-free energy production.
“I am proud to see Pivot Energy, a Colorado-based company, leading efforts to expand renewable energy access for low-income households,” comments Bill Ritter, a former governor of Colorado. “The clean energy transition will only be successful if it can provide clean, reliable energy for all of us, regardless of income, and developing a 100 percent income-qualified solar portfolio on this scale will support countless Coloradans.”
Pivot partners with community organizations in allocating subscriptions to those most in need and manages them through the SunCentral platform, their proprietary cloud-based software.
“Pivot Energy is thrilled to deploy this portfolio, which will deliver profound benefits – both environmental and economic – to thousands of income-qualified households,” adds Tom Hunt, CEO of Pivot Energy. “As the renewable energy industry strives to advance both energy equity and the clean energy transition, I hope to see other states and utilities emulate the leadership and constructive collaboration of Xcel Energy and the state of Colorado to facilitate more equitable access to clean energy.”
Great work ! It is imperative that there be a clear pathway for the most in need to actively participate in the clean energy revolution!