Dimension Energy Opens First Ever Community Solar Project in the Central Valley

Senator Caballero, Assemblymember Mathis, Assemblymember-elect Macedo, the California Energy Commission, and community leaders joined launch event   
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Visalia, CA - On Monday a group of bipartisan California elected officials joined Dimension Energy to celebrate the launch of the first ever community solar project in the Central Valley. Joe Henri of Dimension Energy was joined by Senator Anna Caballero, Assemblymember Devon Mathis, the California Energy Commission’s Raja Ramesh, and Community Organizer Melynda Metheney in front of a solar array located just 10 minutes from downtown Visalia to tout the many benefits of community solar for valley residents.

“Dimension Energy is proud to bring an affordable energy solution to residents of the Central Valley,” said Joe Henri of Dimension Energy. “We hope this is only the beginning. We envision a real, functioning community solar and storage program throughout the state of California that will empower more farmers and landowners to host these facilities, preserving agricultural land within families, while creating jobs and generating clean energy locally.”

The Visalia project is one of three new pilot community solar initiatives in the Central Valley developed by Dimension Energy as part of the state’s Disadvantaged Communities Green Tariff (DAC-GT) program. The other two projects from this pilot program are in Corcoran and Lemoore. The three projects will provide clean solar electricity for over 3,700 low-income valley residents at a 20% discount, saving families an average of $40 per month. Community solar is unique because it brings clean, affordable solar energy to renters who can’t install solar on their homes.

Dimension worked hard to ensure that the benefits of each project were localized by partnering with trusted, community organizations like Proteus and Self Help Enterprises to bring affordable, clean energy to the residents who need it most, and by sponsoring workforce development programs that create opportunities for quality jobs with each project. Per the latest available census data, Tulare County is 50% non-English speaking: A significant portion of residents enrolled were Spanish speakers, and all of Dimension’s community partners were Spanish speaking as well.

The DAC-GT program ended earlier this year, making these pilot community solar projects the first and last of their kind. Ideally the projects will serve as a model to the CPUC as it considers how to deploy $250 million in Solar For All funds allocated by the Environmental Protection Agency this spring. The federal funds provide an opportunity to kick start the creation of an expanded community solar program statewide.

Speakers at the event emphasized the added benefits for families in the Central Valley if the PUC deploys a majority of federal funds this fall to expand community solar across the state.

“This is an exciting and innovative project that will help thousands of Valley families to pay less on their electric bill. But as exciting as this project is, it will help less than 1% of the more than 2.4 million California households who can’t put solar panels on their rooftops because of the cost or because they are renters,” said Senator Anna Caballero. “We need more projects like this to help the state’s millions of renters in need of relief from their high utility bills. California needs to do better. We can do better.”

“California needs more solar projects like these to boost clean energy without the delays of CAISO interconnection queues, minimize reliance on costly transmission infrastructure driving up rates, and expand energy savings through distributed solar,” said Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park). “I hope the PUC will capitalize on the $250 million in Solar For All funds available this year and seize this opportunity to make clean energy more accessible to underserved communities."

“I’m excited to see more community solar projects come online in the Central Valley that will bring more affordable clean energy to the families that need it most,” said Assemblymember Ward (D-San Diego). “My goal with AB 2316 was to expand access to clean energy through community solar projects so renters and others who can’t install solar panels could save money on their monthly utility bills. I look forward to more community solar projects throughout the state to empower families while continuing to move toward our 100% clean energy goal."

“In the Central Valley, Dimension’s three new community solar projects are bringing affordable clean energy to the families that need it most,” said Assemblywoman Elect Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare). 

“California has piloted community solar for a long time without much to show for it,” said Assemblymember Devon Mathis (R-Tulare). “We need to take our learnings from these projects, capitalize on this influx of federal funds, and maximize the benefits of community solar statewide.”

“When I got involved with helping to sign my neighbors up for this project, we were facing really high energy costs and the fuel we used at the time was propane,” said Melynda Metheney, a Central Valley Community Organizer. “We didn’t have very many options until we learned about community solar. Now we all have lower bills and our air is cleaner - it’s a no brainer!"


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