If adopted, the NVBT could also ensure that the potential money-saving benefits of solar are not put even further out of reach for lower-income households and disadvantaged communities. Changes to rooftop-solar policy that went into effect earlier this year have already weakened the economics of rooftop solar in the state and made it harder to afford.

AB 2316 requires that low- and moderate-income households make up at least 51 percent of a community solar project’s subscribers. The coalition behind the NVBT has pledged to structure payments to these households to ensure significant reductions to their utility bills.

“We really need an alternative to allow anyone, regardless of their home status, to subscribe to clean energy that needs to be built in the state, and receive true benefits on their bill,” said Alexis Sutterman, energy equity program manager for the California Environmental Justice Alliance, a coalition of grassroots groups that has joined the push for community solar.

How community solar can fill gaps in the grid and help housing affordability
A key advantage of community solar-battery projects is their flexibility: Because they’re relatively small, typically about 5 megawatts, they can be built and connected to the grid in many places that utility-scale solar can’t, Sutterman said. That could unlock options for dealing with a number of challenges California faces in achieving its climate and energy targets.