Vermont Electric Cooperative details community solar model, urges careful design for S.50 and successor programs

Vermont Electric Cooperative told the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on April 3 that community solar can expand renewable access but that financing and equity must be built into any successor program.

Andrea Collin, who testified for Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC), summarized the co‑op’s community solar experience, described three existing projects in VEC’s territory and urged the legislature to be specific about financing and protections for low‑income households before authorizing a larger state program.

Why it matters

Lawmakers are considering S.50 (a narrow solar siting and registration bill) while the Public Utility Commission and Agency of Transportation have also proposed successor models for group net metering (a state report described a market‑based successor commonly called a "Reefer C" approach). VEC’s testimony addressed practical project design, resident participation and how to reach low‑income customers who are least likely to benefit from rooftop solar programs.

VEC’s community solar model

Collin described VEC as a member‑owned cooperative serving roughly 33,000–34,000 members across about 75 Vermont towns, with a membership skewed toward older households and higher energy burden in the northeastern parts of the territory. VEC…