Title: Community Solar Consumer Choice Act of 2017
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Community Solar Consumer Choice Act of 2017
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a program to expand community solar options to: (1) individuals, particularly individuals that do not have regular access to onsite solar, including low- and moderate-income individuals; (2) businesses; (3) nonprofit organizations; and (4) states and local and tribal governments.
Community solar is a solar power plant, through which the benefits of the electricity produced is shared by electricity customers.
In carrying out the program, DOE must: (1) provide technical assistance to states and local and tribal governments for projects to increase community solar; (2) assist such governments in the development of new and innovative financial and business models that leverage competition in the marketplace in order to serve community solar subscribers; and (3) use national laboratories to collect and disseminate data that assists private entities in the financing of, subscription to, and operation of community solar projects.
The bill encourages the federal government to participate in community solar projects, including by subscribing to community solar facilities.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1670 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1670

 To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to increase 
    participation in community solar and the receipt of associated 
                   benefits, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2017

  Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to increase 
    participation in community solar and the receipt of associated 
                   benefits, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Community Solar Consumer Choice Act 
of 2017''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY SOLAR.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Community solar.--The term ``community solar'' means a 
        solar power plant, through which the benefits of the 
        electricity produced is shared by two or more electricity 
        customers.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (3) Subscriber.--The term ``subscriber'' means an 
        electricity customer who receives direct economic benefits 
        associated with the proportional output of the community solar 
        facility of the customer.
    (b) Establishment of Community Solar Consumer Choice Program.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program 
        to expand community solar options to--
                    (A) individuals, particularly individuals that do 
                not have regular access to onsite solar, including low- 
                and moderate-income individuals;
                    (B) businesses;
                    (C) nonprofit organizations; and
                    (D) States and local and tribal governments.
            (2) Alignment with existing federal programs.--The 
        Secretary shall align the program under paragraph (1) with 
        existing Federal programs that serve low-income communities.
            (3) Assistance to state and local governments.--In carrying 
        out the program under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
                    (A) provide technical assistance to States and 
                local and tribal governments for projects to increase 
                community solar;
                    (B) assist States and local and tribal governments 
                in the development of new and innovative financial and 
                business models that leverage competition in the 
                marketplace in order to serve community solar 
                subscribers; and
                    (C) use National Laboratories (as defined in 
                section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
                15801)) to collect and disseminate data that assists 
                private entities in the financing of, subscription to, 
                and operation of community solar projects.
    (c) Federal Government Participation in Community Solar.--The 
Federal Government is encouraged to participate in community solar 
projects, including by subscribing to community solar facilities.
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