Eversource is rolling out its third energy pilot project in two weeks – this one, on solar power for low-income residents.
The utility, which is preparing to negotiate a rate hike with the Public Utilities Commission, says this proposal will be a new way for those residents to save money.
Solar arrays can deliver savings in the form of net metering – where users sell the solar power back to the grid, in exchange for lower bills.
But there's no simple mechanism to funnel those savings to low-income residents, which is the goal of a growing number of solar projects in the state.
Eversource is proposing a way for solar developers and municipalities to connect their projects to the utility’s own electric assistance customers – ratepayers who meet certain low income requirements.
The legislature recently passed a bill, with the governor's backing, that would require more low-income solar projects to be built in the state.