Clean Energy Collective awarded six Xcel solar gardens for projects in four Colorado counties

By: Steve Tuesday August 21, 2012 Tags: Paul Spencer, Xcel Energy

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CARBONDALE - Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has been awarded six community-owned solar gardens as part of Xcel Energy's Solar Rewards Community program, totaling 2.5 MW of distributed power generation, CEC announced.

Through the new program, CEC will build and maintain solar arrays known as solar gardens in locations across the state. The panels in the solar arrays are owned by community residents who receive credits on their Xcel energy bills for the power produced by the panels.

The six awarded gardens are in Arvada, Breckenridge (two), Denver (two) and Boulder.

"This is a historic step forward for the state of Colorado being made possible by Xcel Energy," said Paul Spencer CEC founder and CEO. "Never before has the opportunity to use clean, renewable energy been available to so many people so easily."

The Xcel program was created in response to the 2010 Colorado Community Solar Gardens Act passed by the state legislature that authorized community solar projects.

Community solar customers receive the same financial benefits as they would if they had panels installed on their roofs. CEC performs all the maintenance and repairs.

In 2010, CEC installed the first community-owned solar garden in the nation near El Jebel, Colorado. Last year, CEC opened the largest community solar facility in the U.S. near Rifle.

CEC plans to open several more solar gardens this year and next year in New Mexico, Minnesota and Colorado, including a solar garden in Windsor that will be dedicated on Aug. 28 at Poudre Valley REA's headquarters.

 

 

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