For some time MEO has been exploring the possibility of using community solar “behind the meter” at public institutions like municipal water facilities. In this innovative approach, community solar participants would receive a “proxy” credit on their water bill instead of an on-bill credit from their electricity utility.
To delve deeper into the legal feasibility of this idea, MEO partnered with Keyes and Fox LLP’s national legal expert David Wooley through the National Community Solar Partnership. The partnership, which is a joint venture between the US Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, provided free meetings, counsel, emails, and a white paper outlining the legal considerations.
While this initial work is complete, MEO, David Wooley, and other collaborators plan to continue exploring this idea and working on follow-up projects. This could have significant implications for community solar projects, potentially expanding their reach and effectiveness beyond traditional utility billing structures. MEO will be sharing more updates as we move forward with this intriguing idea.