SALT LAKE CITY — Rocky Mountain Power’s commercial customers will soon have a new option to use solar power and, beginning Monday, commercial customers will be able to reserve solar blocks.
Construction has begun on a 20-megawatt solar plant near Holden. Subscriber Solar allows commercial and residential customers to purchase solar power if they rent their property, cannot afford to install solar, or have roofs that are not suitable for solar panels.
Participants will be able to subscribe in 200-kilowatt-hour blocks up to their total average monthly usage. The benefits and costs of the program will vary depending on how much electricity a customer uses and how many blocks they support.
The blocks will be divided so commercial and residential customers will be able to subscribe, but the blocks will be available on a first come, first served basis.
“Specially trained call center agents will work directly with commercial customers when they call to see how much they could save or if it might cost slightly more to use this new solar option,” Keven Hoopiiaina, Subscriber Solar program manager, said. “Our business customers have told us they want more options to use solar and want to be able to show their customers they are committed to renewable energy and reducing their carbon footprint.”
High-energy users in the summer may actually pay less for their energy because electricity costs can be higher during that season.
Customers can subscribe for up to 20 years so the ‘locked-in’ generation rate could also save customers money if electricity prices go up in the future. The solar plant for the program will be built this year and be online for customers Jan. 1, 2017.
Several thousand blocks have been reserved for our residential customers and they can begin reserving solar blocks June 21. Residential customers will also have access to an online rate calculator so they can see how much it will save or cost to participate in the program.
Commercial customers will be able to reserve solar blocks starting May 9 by calling toll free 1-844-813-3971.
About Rocky Mountain Power
Rocky Mountain Power is working to bring its customers more and more renewable energy choices. Its Blundell geothermal power plant near Milford, Utah, was the nation’s first geothermal plant built outside of California when it came online in 1984. It also has 13 utility-scale wind projects generating electricity for customers; and as part of its parent company – Berkshire Hathaway Energy – it ranks as the nation’s leading utility owner of wind capacity.
Its renewable energy commitment continues with the Subscriber Solar Program which will allow customers to buy locally produced solar energy without installing rooftop solar panels. Customers can also support renewable energy through the company’s Blue Sky program, which supports renewable projects in the West and helped create more than 100 community-based renewable projects in the states it serves.
Resources
- Video showing how Subscriber Solar works
- More information about the program and photos from the April 21 groundbreaking ceremony
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