SOLEDAD — Solar energy is back to the forefront for the City of Soledad after it previously hit a snag with legislation.
According to Public Works Director Donald Wilcox, the City is now looking at Community Solar. The areas the City is looking at for solar power include the waste water, old landfill, the YMCA and City Hall.
“Unfortunately, that program came to a halt due to some legislation that required a tariff on solar,” Wilcox said. “We’ve been looking at solar for a while.”
The City is now turning its sites to Community Solar and partnering with Optony. The City would use the SEED Fund to create a collaborative purchase for solar with Optony.
The City is considering using ForeFront Power, which was one of the original partners the City was working with for solar projects in the past. ForeFront Power staff came back with a proposal for the City using Community Solar and offering savings starting from year one.
ForeFront has a business model to have an off-site location in Soledad. ForeFront Power delivers solar energy to the grid and the utility company delivers energy to the customer. The customer receives a bill from ForeFront Power and a credit from the utility company.
