Thousands of Delawareans previously unable to benefit from the cost savings and low carbon footprint of solar power are now able to reap the benefits of renewable energy thanks to a new class of community-solar generating facilities enabled by legislation passed by Sen. Stephanie Hansen.
Passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, Senate Bill 2 provided the legal framework for Delmarva Power customers to take advantage of solar power without needing to install solar panels on their properties. Instead, customers can receive credit on their electric bills by participating in a local community solar project, which can be developed under a variety of ownership, management, and contract models.
Delaware law has allowed for community-owned solar generation facilities since 2010, when the shared solar concept was still being tested throughout most of the country. Today, at least 40 states and the District of Columbia host at least one community solar project with most located in Maine, Minnesota, New York and Colorado.
SB 2 updated Delaware’s existing law to reflect lessons learned in other states and remove outdated barriers that prevented community solar from flourishing in the First State. The legislation also required that all community solar projects in Delaware serve a diverse customer base that must include low-income and middle-class households, an environmental justice component that is making solar energy available to Delawareans from a wide cross-section of income levels.
