Solar Daily

Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has been awarded six community-owned solar gardens as part of Xcel's Solar*Rewards Community program, totaling 2.5 MW of distributed power generation. Through the new program, Clean Energy Collective will construct and maintain solar arrays, known as solar gardens, in centralized locations across the state. The panels in the solar arrays are owned by individual community members, who receive credits on their Xcel electricity bill for the power produced by their panels.

"This is a historic step forward for the state of Colorado being made possible by Xcel Energy," says Paul Spencer, founder and CEO of the Clean Energy Collective. "Never before has the opportunity to use clean renewable energy been available to so many people so easily. Community solar is an important part of our energy future, and it's exciting to see Colorado leading the nation in community-based renewable energy solutions."

The Xcel Energy Solar*Rewards Community program was created in response to the 2010 Colorado Community Solar Gardens Act passed by the Colorado legislature that authorized community solar projects.