October 8, 2019
In a recent blog post we outlined some key points of the New Jersey Community Solar Pilot Program. Now, following the September 9 application deadline, the NJBPU (New Jersey Board of Public Utilities) has announced the overall number of Year One applications for the program—252.
The community solar program will play a big part in achieving New Jersey’s target of 100% clean energy by 2050. Below, you’ll find some important numbers & figures concerning the program, and also key evaluation criteria.
The Key Numbers
252 applications
650 MW (megawatts) of total capacity
40% of capacity earmarked to serve LMI (low-and-moderate income) households
232 of 252 applications for projects where at least 51% of capacity would benefit LMI households
75 MW first-year capacity limit (anticipated award of at least 75 MW in both second and third years)
Pilot Program estimated to cover electric usage of approximately 45,000 residential homes
Important Evaluation Criteria
LMI environmental justice inclusion (30 points max.)
Siting (20 points max.)
Product offering (15 points max.)
Community & Environmental justice engagement (10 points max.)
Subscribers (10 points max.)
Other benefits (10 points max.)
Geographic limit in EDC service territory (5 points max.)
A total of 30 points is the minimum requirement for a project to be considered. All applications that receive 30 points or more will be awarded Community Solar Pilot Program capacity—beginning with the highest-scoring project and continuing to the lowest-scoring. For full details of the evaluation criteria consult Appendix C of the Application Form.
The Board is reviewing these applications at the time of writing and the selected projects will be notified together once the review process has been completed for all applications received. At the moment, there is no definitive timeframe for the completion of this review process and the Board will not be providing any further timeframe information in responses to email inquiries.
If you want to sign up for a community solar project in your area—or just learn more about community solar—contact YSG Solar today at 212.389.9215 and we can help.
By Shane Croghan
Sources:
https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/2019/approved/20190926.html