{"id":93509,"date":"2021-02-23T12:48:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-23T17:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarpowerworldonline.com\/?p=93509"},"modified":"2021-02-25T12:25:53","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T17:25:53","slug":"vote-solar-automatic-enrollment-community-solar-programs-lmi-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarpowerworldonline.com\/2021\/02\/vote-solar-automatic-enrollment-community-solar-programs-lmi-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts recommend automatic enrollment in community solar programs for LMI groups"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vote Solar\u2019s Access & Equity Advisory Committee (AEAC)\u00a0released<\/a>\u00a0a policy brief today that provides solutions to barriers in state-run solar program implementation in low- to moderate-income communities. The AEAC is composed of energy leaders from Vote Solar and a rotating list of partner organizations, including GRID Alternatives, the NAACP and Nexamp (see below for full list).<\/p>\n

The Committee is recommending two key initiatives for more successful solar expansion programs: (1) automatic enrollment in community solar programs and (2) grant support for more robust community engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cSolar program implementation for LMI customers can be uneven and more complicated than necessary,\u201d said Melanie Santiago-Mosier, Vote Solar\u2019s managing director of Access & Equity. \u201cFollowing these recommendations can streamline program implementation and ultimately ensure the benefits of solar are spread more equitably.\u201d<\/p>\n

Automatic enrollment means that households eligible for low- and moderate-income (LMI) solar programs would automatically be enrolled in a solar program through qualification for another government program, such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The AEAC found that one of the biggest barriers to implementing LMI community solar programs is a cumbersome, lengthy and often humiliating income verification process in which both the state and the solar vendor are involved. Streamlining this process is critical to enrolling more families in community solar programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stand with Vote Solar and our colleagues in demanding that any clean energy transition focuses first on restorative justice,\u201d said Daphany Rose Sanchez of Kinetic Communities Consulting. \u201cBy moving the dial, streamlining resources, and empowering local organizations to lead the energy transformation, we can see BIPOC and other disinvested communities lead the charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Localized community engagement is required to build trust and address the unique needs of the community. Currently, under most state-run programs, if a vendor receives money from the state to deploy solar for LMI communities, that money is for the solar projects only and doesn\u2019t cover the cost of engaging with customers. State and federal funding programs should include specific allocations for community outreach and education about LMI solar programs and approved vendors, allowing vendors to hire dedicated community outreach staff, engage with community organizations to create a customer acquisition pipeline and market their product effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolicymakers and the solar industry must think critically about solutions like these to ensure low-wealth communities do not get left behind in the clean energy transition,\u201d says Olivia Nedd, Vote Solar\u2019s policy director of the Access & Equity Program. \u201cSolar is a big part of that transition and the AEAC hopes it can continue to share ways of ensuring that an equitable clean energy future comes to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full brief here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Access & Equity Advisory Committee Members<\/em><\/p>\n

Gary Skulnik, Neighborhood Sun<\/em>
\nYesenia Rivera, Solar United Neighbors<\/em>
\nBeth Galante, PosiGen<\/em>
\nAlexandra Wyatt, GRID Alternatives<\/em>
\nLynn Heller, Climate Access Fund<\/em>
\nDenise Abdul-Rahman, NAACP<\/em>
\nDaphany-Rose Sanchez, Kinetic Communities Consulting<\/em>
\nZaid Ashai, Nexamp<\/em>
\nBrandy Hyatt, Vote Solar<\/em>
\nMelanie Santiago-Mosier, Vote Solar<\/em>
\nOlivia Nedd, Vote Solar<\/em><\/p>\n

News item from Vote Solar<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vote Solar\u2019s Access & Equity Advisory Committee (AEAC)\u00a0released\u00a0a policy brief today that provides solutions to barriers in state-run solar program implementation in low- to moderate-income communities. 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