Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Solar topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NYMEC representative presents community solar offer that could save Oswego about $40,000 a year
Summary
Adam Hoover of NYMEC told the Oswego Committee of the Whole that a state-backed community solar aggregation program could yield a fixed 10% credit off published ComEd rates and would likely save the village roughly $40,000 annually; participation would likely require a ~20-year contract and may include a roughly $40,000 early-termination fee.
Adam Hoover, a representative of NYMEC, told the Village of Oswego Committee of the Whole that a state-backed community solar aggregation program could provide the village about 10% off published ComEd supply and delivery charges and save the municipal accounts roughly $40,000 a year based on current rates. Hoover described the program as a state-credit arrangement in which the state receives renewable-energy credits while participating entities receive a fixed financial credit on bills.
Hoover said the village currently has about 20 municipal accounts under a fixed supply contract at roughly 6.27¢ per kilowatt-hour with NRG. He contrasted that with the published ComEd rate (about 9.6¢ at the time of the presentation) and estimated the community-solar credit would amount to about $40,000 annually for the village, and roughly $800,000 over a 20-year contract if rates and other factors behave as projected. "This is a state-funded program… The state gets the credit for the renewable energy," Hoover said, adding that the village could not claim the renewable credits itself under the program rules.
Trustees asked how the 10% was calculated and whether it covered supply and delivery charges. Hoover said the 10% is a fixed credit applied against the published monthly ComEd rate (which varies month to month) and that it effectively reduces the village's total bill. He noted the village's current fixed-rate supply contract would remain in place and that community solar would operate in addition to, not as a replacement for, that agreement.
Hoover outlined three common concerns: the typical municipal contract term is long (he said most recent municipal deals run about 20 years to match panel lifespans), there can be an early-termination fee (he cited roughly $40,000 in one example), and billing transitions can cause short-term complications (municipal accounts may shift billing relationships). He also said street-light accounts are not eligible under state rules and that credits for participating municipalities often do not begin until 2027 or 2028 because of wait lists and project timelines.
Trustees expressed general interest but asked for more details. One trustee asked whether on-site municipal solar installations would preclude participation; Hoover replied on-site solar would reduce municipal usage and therefore reduce the dollar amount of community-solar savings but would not prohibit participation. Hoover also said NYMEC is a broker/consultant that is compensated by winning suppliers, not by the village, and that he expects to return with a draft contract for legal review. "I'm hoping a month from now I'll have a final contract for you," Hoover said, subject to legal review.
The committee did not take a formal vote on joining the program during the meeting; trustees signaled interest and asked the presenter to return with a contract for review. Next steps listed by Hoover included drafting a proposed contract and submitting it to the village legal team for review.
