Joint ComEd, Pivot Energy community solar project goes online in Illinois
Working together, ComEd and solar developer Pivot Energy this week finished work on a community solar project in Kankakee, Ill., with plans to generate more than 990,000 kW hours there per year.
At that level, it should be able to suit the needs of nearly 100 average Illinois homes, saving a bit of money while expanding cleaner energy offerings. Subscribers will be able to draw from a farm of solar panels and earn credits on their monthly ComEd bills for their portion of the energy produced, without installing solar panels of their own.
“ComEd and Pivot are proud to play leading roles in the growth of community solar in Illinois,” Scott Vogt, vice president of strategy and energy policy at ComEd, said. “We now have more than 80 community solar projects in our northern Illinois region, enabling a growing number of customers to easily access renewable energy and contribute to a healthier environment.”
This project is known as the Pivot Community Solar Farm – one of 20 so-called pivot projects currently under construction in Illinois. Energy generated by these community solar projects will enter ComEd’s grid and become part of the overall energy supply. They represent a key part of ComEd’s multi-year grid and rate plans filed earlier this year with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).
“We are pleased to help make the ComEd region one of the nation’s fastest growing markets for community solar,” Liz Reddington, vice president of project development for Pivot Energy, said. “We expect to have completed four community solar projects in northern Illinois by the end of this year, contributing to ComEd’s efforts to increase access to reliable, clean energy and help its customers save money on their energy bills.”
These efforts also keep ComEd advancing toward state-mandated renewable energy goals: 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, according to the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). By the end of this year, ComEd said it expects to host more than 100 community solar projects throughout northern Illinois, which would provide for approximately 25,000 customers.
