PG&E signs on first community solar project for its Regional Renewable Choice Program

Published on May 15, 2018 by Kevin Randolph

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Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) recently announced it signed with renewable energy developer ForeFront Power on the first community solar project for its Regional Renewable Choice program.

The program is designed to enable all customers to purchase up to 100 percent solar energy without installing private rooftop solar panels.

The 1.66 megawatt (MW) solar project will be located in Fresno County. Customers who wish to participate in the project will subscribe to a portion of the energy it produces through a contract with the project’s developer, ForeFront Power. Customers can subscribe to between 25 and 100 percent of their energy use. PG&E will provide participating customers with a program credit on their monthly energy statement based on the kilowatt-hour output of their subscription.

This project is expected to begin delivering energy to customers in mid-2019.

PG&E will hold requests through 2018 for offers for renewable energy developers to submit proposals for projects in the Regional Renewable Choice program. The program is open to local renewable energy developers across Northern and Central California and includes renewable projects ranging from 0.5 to 20 MW.

“The Regional Renewable Choice program is part of our ongoing commitment to support the growth of solar and other renewable energy sources in California,” Vincent Davis, PG&E’s senior director of Customer Energy Solutions, said. “This program enables our customers to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from their electricity usage and allows them to directly be a part of California’s clean energy future.”