Coalition For Community Solar Access

Michigan Community Solar Alliance

Every Michigan resident deserves the option to choose clean, affordable solar energy, but right now, most lack access to cost effective, reliable, renewable solar energy because a state regulation stands in the way.

The Michigan Community Solar Alliance is working to change that.

Our bipartisan legislative plan provides energy customers with the opportunity to help meet their energy needs with locally produced renewable energy through a subscription to a local solar project and a credit on their monthly electric bill.

No home-installed solar panels, no big upfront costs. Just access to clean, easy, affordable energy for those who want it.

Itâs time for Michigan lawmakers to pass legislation to allow community solar in our state. The demand is there, the savings are real and the investment is coming.

Opening the door to community solar around the state that will encourage competition, spur innovation, support the environment and ultimately, save consumers money on their energy bills.

MCSA is:

• Associated Builders and Contractors – Michigan

• Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America – Michigan Chapter

• Coalition for Community Solar Access

• Citizenâs Utility Board

• Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association

• MI Air MI Health

• Michigan Democratic Party Environmental Caucus

• Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council

• Michigan Energy Options

• Michigan League of Conservation Voters

• Michigan Municipal League

Become Part Of Our Growing Coalition

The Coalition for Community Solar Access is a national Coalition of businesses and non-profits working to expand customer choice and access to solar for all American households and businesses through community solar. Our mission is to empower every American energy consumer with the option to choose local, clean, and affordable community solar.

We work with customers, utilities, local stakeholders, and policymakers to develop and implement policies and best practices that ensure community solar programs provide a win, win, win for all, starting with the customer. Join our Coalition and add your voice to shape the future of the industry.

CCSAs Membership is divided into four categories:

See CCSAs member benefits brochure for more details.

Join our Coalition today!

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What Is The Coalition For Community Solar Access

In CCSAs own words, theyre a national Coalition of businesses and non-profits working to expand customer choice and access to solar for all American households and businesses through community solar. While community solar is a great alternative to solar on your property, the sign-up and billing process can be confusing and community solar is not yet available in every state! Just like EnergySage, CCSA has a consumer-first mindset: their mission is to empower every American energy consumer with the option to choose local, clean, and affordable community solar. This entails working closely with their members, policymakers, and utilities to make signing up for community solar as easy as possible.

Diversity Equity & Inclusion

This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit’s decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.

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Integrating Distributed Solar And Storage: The Keystones Of A Modern Grid

The Coalition for Community Solar Access and Local Solar for All issued a comprehensive white paper relating to the policies and regulations impacting the deployment of distributed energy resources , highlighting interconnection as the industrys biggest challenge to overcome and the best opportunity for driving future growth.

Guidance for Designing Community Solar ProgramsUPDATED Fourth Edition, March 2019

This matrix is intended to lead policymakers through important questions, grouped into five categories, which should be addressed when designing programs. To answer these questions, we provide a menu of options, focusing on those that will spur market development while providing choices to customize programs to meet a states needs and goals.

Salary Of Key Persons

Presented here are up to five of this organization’s highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting

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Benefits Of Community Solar

• Equal Access: Community solar works for anyone with an electric bill, including renters, residents in multi-unit buildings, and businesses that dont own their roofs. That means community solar can give ALL Americans equal access to solar for the first time.
• Favorable Economics: Sunshine is free, which means solar offers reliable energy at a predictable rate for decades. And because community solar projects are optimally sited, professionally maintained, and built at scale, consumers can save even more money.
• Its Easy: Customers can sign up to participate in a community solar project in a few minutes and begin receiving power production credits on their next utility bill. No contractor visits, permits, or maintenance means no hassle.
• Its Mobile: Community solar allows customers to move within the utility territory and still retain their participation in the community solar project, making it an easy, portable energy solution.
• Utility Partnerships: The community solar model is based on a mutually beneficial relationship with utilities, allowing them to provide a product their customers wantlocally-made clean energy.

Interstate Renewable Energy Council

IRECs programs and policies benefit consumers, policymakers, utilities and the clean energy industry. The results are visible in nearly every state, with rules that enable millions more consumers to participate in the clean energy marketplace and practices that make it easier, safer and more affordable to connect to the utility grid.

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Coalition For Community Solar Access First Anniversary Marks Growing Membership Key Policy Advancements

The Nations First Community Solar Trade Association Has Worked in Partnership Across the Industry to Expand Solar Access Nationwide

Washington, DC The Coalition for Community Solar Access marked its one-year anniversary last month with the addition of nine new members. The nations first and only trade association for community solar now represents an even-larger cross-section of project developers, manufacturers, financiers, legal experts and advocates.

Community solar is on the rise across the country, affirmed CCSA Executive Director Jeff Cramer. Were excited to see so much enthusiasm for community solar from so many leading companies and organizations, and encouraged by the growing support for effective policies that will support its adoption nationwide. In the last year alone we have seen total installed capacity of community solar nearly double, and significant progress made to open new markets, including Maryland, New York, Hawaii and others in the coming year.

CCSA has now added nine new members: Borrego Solar, Distributed Sun, EWT, AES Distributed Energy, Westwood Professional Services, Relay Power, Lever Energy Finance, Solstice and GRID Alternatives. Solstice and GRID Alternatives are also CCSAs first non-profit members.

In its first year, CCSA and its growing membership have been actively involved in advocating for effective community solar policies in states across the country. Some of the recent action CCSA has engaged in includes:

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Why Sign Up For Community Solar

A community solar project is a large, central power plant whose electricity is shared by multiple properties. Community Solar provides many of the benefits of rooftop solar, but theres no upfront cost and less commitment required. By subscribing to a local community solar farm, youll still reduce your electric bill and climate impact without installing a single solar panel!

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Residential Consumer Guide To Community Solar

Together the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Coalition for Community Solar Access published the Residential Consumer Guide to Community Solar, which provides consumers with an overview of community solar, expert tips on how to be an informed consumer, questions solar consumers should ask before entering into an agreement and handy links to other resources.

Coalition For Community Solar Access

Registered Principal Details

Lobbying Interests:CEO Name:Communication InformationCommunication Information

Budget Bill Subjects

Communication InformationBiennial budget bill treatment of matter relating toCommunication InformationCommunication InformationCommunication InformationCommunication InformationCommunication Information

Topics Not Yet Assigned A Bill Or Rule Number

Development, drafting or introduction of a proposal relating to

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Business Master File Data

Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website

Activities:

Activity data not reported from the IRS

Foundation Status:

All organizations except 501

Affiliation:

Independent – the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary .

Smart Electric Power Alliance

The Smart Electric Power Alliance SEPA is an educational non-profit. SEPA has developed several resources on community solar development, including information on community solar projects across the country, partnerships with utilities on the development of community solar projects, and updated facts.

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Coalition For Community Solar Access Applauds New Solar Laws That Strengthen Marylands Clean Energy Economy Expand Solar Access

Annapolis, MD Together with the community solar industry, environmental and low-income advocates today cheered the finalization of legislation that will improve the states clean energy economy while increasing access to solar energy for underserved communities. HB 1039 will incentivize the development of community solar projects that serve low income communities as well as project development on contaminated lands and rooftops. HB 440 will expand the permitted projects from two megawatts to five megawatts, reduce the land requirements for siting projects, increase private investment into local economies and create more jobs.

As both a physician and an environmental advocate, I am thrilled that Maryland can build on the foundation we have been laying for community solar over the last few years and double down on our commitment to clean, renewable energy, said Dr. Al Barlett with the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. More solar energy means less carbon pollution that contributes to climate change, exacerbates air pollution and harms our health.

Community solar projects are small solar installations typically located on contaminated land such as brownfields and landfills, underutilized farmland or large rooftops. The property owner can earn income by leasing space for the solar panels, and community members can choose to subscribe to the project, earning savings on their electricity bill each month.

Find A Community Solar Project Near You

Similar to CCSA, EnergySage wants to expand solar, make it easier for everyone to go solar, and make solar more equitable. Our Community Solar Marketplace is designed to allow you to explore, compare, and sign up for projects near you. Dont see any projects available in your area yet? The community solar industry is constantly growing, and more and more states are introducing policies to support development so be sure to check back soon!

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This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.

Impact & Results Score

What Is Community Solar

Community solar offers the benefit of solar to those who cant, or prefer not to, install solar panels on their homes. These projects enable individuals, businesses, or organizations to purchase or subscribe to a share in a community solar project. If you join a community solar project, you receive a credit on your electric bill each month for the energy produced by your share.

Before you can receive this credit, though, your utility must agree to participate in community solar, or be forced to allow it by legislation. A number of rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities around the country have also started offering limited community solar to customer owners.

Prefer to watch a video? Check out our 3-part webinar series:

• Episode 3, Project Development: Grow Your Own

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Coalition For Community Solar Access Statement On Nj Senate Committee Action To Support Solar Development

Trenton, NJ The New Jersey State Senate Environment and Energy Committee has approved legislation that would make critical changes to upgrade the states energy infrastructure. Sponsored by Senator Bob Smith , S431 Interconnection Standards, was passed out of committee with wide support last week. The bill would streamline the process by which clean energy projects are connected to the grid and allow for improved long-term planning. A statement from Leslie Elder, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for Coalition for Community Solar Access, follows:

We applaud Senator Smith for his leadership on an issue critical to the success of New Jerseys clean energy future, and commend the Environment and Energy Committee for acting to ensure New Jerseyans will more readily benefit from the consumer savings, economic development and clean energy equity that community solar projects deliver.

Most importantly, S431 will allow for community solar projects to connect to the grid more effectively and efficiently and provide guaranteed savings on participating customers electric bills. More than 50% of the program is dedicated to serving low-to-moderate income customers, ensuring these residents can save money on their energy needs at a time when they need it the most.

Supporting Projects That Benefit You The Consumer

As solar supporters, we look for several things in community solar programs and legislation:

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Making Solar More Equitable

Community solar is generally more accessible to low-and-moderate income families than rooftop solar, but barriers still exist . According to a 2021 survey conducted by Uplight, over 32 percent of LMI customers stated that they struggled to pay an electric bill over the past year, which was approximately three times greater than higher-income customers. So, the very people who could benefit the most from a lower electric bill might not even be eligible for some community solar projects. Check out this article to learn more about LMI community solar.

In addition to supporting lower credit score requirements and promoting consolidated billing, deploying local solar on a wider scale can help LMI customers by lowering electric bills for everyone. In fact, Local Solar for All estimates that a national 95 percent clean electricity target with expanded local solar and storage would save ratepayers $473 billion by 2050 compared to a clean electricity grid without expanded local solar and storage.

National Renewable Energy Lab

At NREL, we focus on creative answers to todays energy challenges. From breakthroughs in fundamental science to new clean technologies to integrated energy systems that power our lives, NREL researchers are transforming the way the nation and the world use energy. A recent NREL report described the market potential of community solar of up to $16 billion in investments and up to 11 Gigawatts of cumulative installed capacity though 2020.

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Founding Board Passes The Baton Amid A Period Of Rapid Growth For Community Solar

On Monday, the Coalition for Community Solar Access announced that four leaders from across the community solar industry will be joining its elected board of directors to lead the sectors next phase of growth. Joe Henri of Dimension Renewable Energy, Sarah Wochos of Borrego Solar, Laura Stern of Nautilus Solar, and Richard Caperton of Arcadia will join the boards three existing members: Tom Hunt of Pivot Energy, who will take over as board chair Kelly Friend of Nexamp, who will be vice-chair and Salar Naini of Turning Point Energy.

The new members replace two outgoing founding board members: Jennifer Spinosi and chair Hannah Muller.

Im proud of what weve accomplished during my tenure as chair, said Muller. Most importantly we put the right people in the right places which is critical to success. The most important legacy you can leave is to find somebody who can do the job better than you and make yourself irrelevant, which I feel like I have become, she added with a laugh.

In the nearly six years since the CCSA board was founded, CCSA and the community solar industry have undergone significant changesmany of them thanks to the leadership and guidance of the board.

With that growth has come an evolution in needs and priorities.

Those innovations and advantages have translated to a marketplace that is much more eager to adopt community solar, and legislators who want to craft policies to bring the benefits of community solar to more of their constituencies.

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