Tucson Electric Power Co. wants to give its customers the opportunity to invest in new solar arrays to be built next year.
Participants in the Bright Tucson Community Solar Program would be able to purchase a share of solar energy by adding $3 to their monthly bills.
The Arizona Corporation Commission must first approve the project, which would begin in mid-2010 and allow customers to purchase 150-kilowatt blocks of solar energy generated by local photovoltaic arrays, which convert sunlight into electricity. Customers could add or subtract blocks or leave the program at any time, said TEP spokesman Joe Salkowski.
Six blocks — purchased at $18 per month — would provide enough solar energy to cover the annual electric use of a typical residential household, TEP says.
"We're responding to demand from our customers for an opportunity to invest in solar energy," Salkowski said.
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Also, for blocks of energy purchased in the program, participants won't have to pay charges linked to fossil-fueled energy sources — including TEP's base energy charge and fuel-adjustment charges. The cost of the blocks would be unaffected by any increases to those energy charges over the coming decade, including any mandated by Congress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Just as solar array owners earn credit for excess energy provided by their system to TEP's local distribution grid, participants in this program would receive a credit on future bills if the blocks they've purchased exceed their electric use during a billing period.
But customers shouldn't expect an immediate return on their investment, Salkowski said. It's more an opportunity to offset their carbon footprint.
"It will not be a money-saving program for customers when it launches," Salkowski said.