Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned, power supply cooperative. It supplies the wholesale power requirements of its 11 member electric distribution cooperatives, which provide electricity to 1.4 million people in 70 counties in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
Four of ODEC’s member-owners filed applications with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) on January 30, 2018 to implement community solar pilot programs. The community solar pilot programs will allow member-consumers to choose solar power to cover all or a portion of their electric usage each month. The programs are designed to make solar power accessible and affordable to member-consumers. The programs also offer member-consumers the opportunity to lock in the cost of their solar power supply for the future.
A&N, Mecklenburg, Northern Neck and Rappahannock Electric Cooperatives will establish three-year pilot programs to provide community solar subscriptions to their member-consumers, pending SCC approval.
ODEC entered into a power purchase agreement to purchase the output from the 10-MW Clarke County Solar farm in White Post, Virginia, and the 20-MW Cherrydale Solar farm in Kendall Grove, Virginia in Northampton County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Each entered commercial operations in 2017.
“These community solar pilot programs demonstrate our continued commitment to providing renewable energy options to our member-owners. We have taken a steady, deliberate approach to integrating renewable resources, and it has paid off over time as we continue to pursue cost-effective options to meet our members’ needs. We’re very excited to help them offer solar power to their member-consumers at the end of the line,” said Rick Beam, ODEC’s senior vice president of power supply.
News item from ODEC
This is great news and a step in the right direction when it comes down to the consumer being member owner. It will be interesting to see how it plays out over time.