New Illinois community solar project will provide free power to low-to-moderate-income families

ComEd announced the launch of a community solar project in Kankakee County that offers qualified ComEd customers throughout northern Illinois access to solar energy and savings of up to $1,000 annually on their electricity bills for a three-year subscription term. The Gar Creek community solar project is located in a low-income neighborhood and includes two solar arrays with a combined solar generation capacity of 3.5 MW.

The project will serve up to 600 customers, and applications will be accepted through April 15 at ComEd.com/GiveARay. It’s owned by Fosler Solar, a Babcock & Wilcox company in Freeport, Illinois, and was developed by Trajectory Energy Partners of Illinois.

The Gar Creek project is part of ComEd’s “Give-A-Ray” program, which increases access to clean, solar energy for low and moderate income customers. The Gar Creek project is open to qualified customers who live anywhere in ComEd’s northern Illinois region. ComEd will pay all subscription fees on behalf of customers and manage enrollment.

“At ComEd, we are committed to making the transition to clean energy as inclusive as possible, and the Gar Creek project will help us achieve that goal,” said Scott Vogt, VP of energy acquisition at ComEd. “Our partners at Fosler Solar and Trajectory Energy share our vision, and we are excited to work with them to provide qualified customers anywhere in our region with access to solar energy regardless of their income level.”

The program is enabled by Illinois Solar for All, which helps make solar installations more affordable through state incentives, and through ComEd’s partnerships with community solar developers. Give-A-Ray was launched last year with a community solar project that serves qualified customers in the Rockford area.

“The Gar Creek community solar project provides a unique opportunity for qualified customers to access clean, solar energy and realize meaningful savings on their energy bill,” said Nathaniel Dick, director of energy for Preservation of Affordable Housing, which supports enrollment in the project. “ComEd’s Give-A-Ray community solar program helps reduce the energy burden at our sites for low-to-moderate income families.”

Source: Solar Power World