A city can play a facilitator role to support community solar projects throughout the procurement process. Acting as a facilitator could involve building partnerships between local organizations, leveraging existing city programs and departments to help identify sites or subscribers (especially for low- and moderate-income communities), conducting education and outreach, or coordinating project research. Facilitation throughout the procurement process can speed up project development, lower project costs (and therefore the cost to subscribers), and enhance the likelihood of success.

Advantages

• Spurs broader community access and engagement
• Allows the city to participate in the project in a variety of ways
• Increases the potential for project aggregation and, as a result, reduced subscription costs
• Helps promote LMI access to clean energy benefits

Disadvantages

• Requires that the city manage a complex web of stakeholders
• Requires significant staff time