Since Maine passed solar-friendly legislation in 2019, there has been a boom of mostly out-of-state corporations setting up massive solar arrays and signing up subscribers into community solar programs.
Raising limits on the scale of solar development has increased the amount of solar energy in Maine’s renewables portfolio – more than 300 megawatts of solar generation have been brought on line since then. In addition, the subscription model made solar energy accessible to more people because it does not require any upfront investment to participate, while buying into a community solar farm can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
But advocates for cooperatives say that investor-owned solar is not necessarily the best way forward, and they are developing strategies to make sharing ownership in a community solar farm more affordable for working Maine families.
Read the rest at Portland Press Herald
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