Bill > SB34

This bill establishes a community solar pilot program in West Virginia that allows electric utility customers to subscribe to and receive credits for electricity generated by small-scale solar facilities. The program, to be implemented by the Public Service Commission by January 1, 2026, will enable customers to purchase a portion of a solar facility's output and receive bill credits proportional to their subscription. Key provisions include setting capacity limits for community solar facilities (starting at 6% of a utility's total retail sales and increasing to 10% by 2031), ensuring at least 40% of each facility's capacity is reserved for smaller subscriptions, and mandating that facilities have at least three subscribers and be located within the same utility service territory. The bill emphasizes accessibility by requiring mechanisms to support low-income customer participation, allowing all customer classes to join, and preventing punitive fees. Community solar facilities are limited to 5 megawatts (or 10 megawatts for qualifying sites like brownfields or agrivoltaic projects), and subscribers can transfer their subscriptions within the same utility territory. The pilot program is set to expire on December 31, 2032, but existing projects will remain unaffected.