Xcel Energy is proposing plan that would enable customers to get the equivalent all over their power from solar energy by purchasing it by subscription.
The program, Solar Connect, would purchase 50 megawatts of electricity — enough for 10,000 to 14,000 homes — from a large-scale solar plant.
Customers could subscribe for a portion of the capacity.
“We want to make renewable energy available at the right cost for all of our customers,” David Eves, president of Xcel’s Colorado subsidiary, said in a statement.
The program is similar to Xcel’s Wind Source program, to which 35,000 residential consumers and 1,000 businesses subscribe, paying a premium to guarantee some or all of the electricity they use is generated by wind.
Annie Lappé, a spokeswoman for Vote Solar, which promotes solar energy said, “the company is smart to see that high demand for clean, local energy options exists”
“Is important to note that Xcel isn’t the only one that can do solar right, and this program should not come at the expense of customer choice,” Lappé.
The program must be approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
