Washington State’s Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) and City of Everett are partnering on a solar project that will generate funds and assist PUD customers with paying their bills.
The solar project will be built in south Everett and will direct solar generation benefits to Project Providing Relief for Individuals Dependent on Energy (PRIDE), the PUD’s customer-funded income-qualified program that currently serves 500 customers annually.
Established in 1982, Project PRIDE is primarily funded by contributions from PUD customers. Funds are used to provide one-time grants for families and individuals who need help paying their energy bills.
In place of selling energy units to customers, Snohomish PUD will donate funds created by the new solar project to its Project PRIDE program. The program will receive an estimated additional $27,600 in annual energy credits through the community solar project.
The PUD was awarded a grant of $861,814 through the Washington Clean Energy Fund (CEF) 3 Low-Income Community Solar Deployment Program to help pay for the project. The CEF is managed by the Washington State Department of Commerce, which supports the development and deployment of clean energy technology.
The planned solar array will have a capacity of 375 kilowatts, generating enough electricity to power approximately 40 homes.
The estimated cost to build the array is around $1.5 million. Construction is scheduled to start later this year.
For more information on the project, visit the PUD’s website.
