Washington Community Solar Program

Beginning July 1st, 2017, under Revised Code of Washington Title 82, Chapter 82.16.170 (RCW 82.16.170), the state of Washington granted community solar administrators the ability to organize and administer community solar projects. Stipulations surrounding community solar projects include a maximum direct current (DC) nameplate capacity of 1 megawatt (MW), as well as a minimum of 10 participants or 1 participant per 10 kW DC nameplate capacity, whichever is greater. Projects exceeding 500 kW will be subject to a standard interconnection agreement. Members participating in any community solar project must be customers of the utility providing service at the site. Additional organizational and administrative information can be found within the above mentioned RCW chapter.

To incentivize the creation of community solar projects, RCW 82.16.165 details avenues community solar administrators can pursue to obtain incentives through the Washington State University Extension Energy Program (WSUEEP). This program closed to new project certifications in July 2021.

In March 2022, the Washington legislature passed HB 1814 - 2021-22, establishing a new community solar incentive program that provides direct benefits to low-income subscribers, low-income service provider subscribers, and tribal and public agency subscribers. Eligible systems have a DC nameplate capacity between 12 kW and 199 kW and at least two low-income subscribers or one low-income service provider. The budget for this incentive is $100 million to be spent over the next 10 years, of which $2 million must be used to support nonprofit organizations’ innovative approaches to allocating benefits to subscribers, $2 million must also be available to tribal governments. This incentive program will offer project precertification through June 30, 2033.