BY DARREN GOODE
Peninsula Clean Energy
The Dos Palos Clean Power project in Merced County, one of California’s first community solar projects, is now online and providing emission-free power to residents in disadvantaged communities.
A joint project from Peninsula Clean Energy and Renewable America, Dos Palos will generate three megawatts of solar power as part of Peninsula Clean Energy’s Green Access Program, which is providing income-qualified customers in San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos with a 20 percent reduction to their electric bills.
“This additional solar power has the dual advantage of providing emission-free power to our grid and saving millions of dollars in electricity costs for some of our most disadvantaged customers,” Peninsula Clean Energy CEO Shawn Marshall said. “We are also delivering further benefits to the residents of San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos, including sourcing this carbon-free power for our Los Banos customers from their home county.”
“Positive economic and environmental impacts for local communities are at the core of everything we do,” said Ardi Arian, President and CEO of Renewable America. “With this project, we’re not only helping California meet its clean energy goals, we’re proving that renewable energy can be a force for equity, ensuring that all communities, especially those historically underserved, share in the benefits of clean energy. This is the future we’re working toward.”
Disadvantaged communities, including many renters, who traditionally have been unable to gain access to distributed solar power, can receive power from the project and receive 20 percent off their power bills. More than 2,600 customers have already been selected to receive power from the project. Overall, selected Peninsula Clean Energy customers will cumulatively save more than $700,000 annually from the project over the next two decades.
Renewable America developed, secured financing for and constructed the Dos Palos project.
Peninsula Clean Energy’s Green Access program is part of a statewide effort from the California Public Utilities Commission to help income-qualified residents with their energy bills in communities that experience higher levels of economic, health and environmental burdens.
