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    City of New Orleans seeking sites for Community Solar Gardens

    April 5, 2022
    The subscribers will secure credit on electricity bills for their share of the power generated. It will provide businesses, renters and homeowners equal access to the benefits of solar energy generation.
    Brewster Community Solar Garden in Massachusetts. Image credit Brewster Community Solar Garden Cooperative Inc.
    Brewster Community Solar Garden in Massachusetts. Image credit Brewster Community Solar Garden Cooperative Inc.

    The City of New Orleans has launched a Community Solar program with partner Madison Energy Investments and local provider Solar Alternatives.

    This program is the first of its kind in the South, according to the city leaders. It involves the construction of local solar gardens, the electrictity of which will be shared by multiple subscribers.

    The subscribers will secure credit on electricity bills for their share of the power generated. It will provide businesses, renters and homeowners equal access to the benefits of solar energy generation. Businesses and residents can subscribe to these projects at no upfront cost.

    Currently, the city is seeking city-owned sites, like vacant land and rooftops, to build these solar gardens. The City Council will approve the locations for these solar gardens to ensure that they align with underserved neighborhoods.

    Madison Energy Investments’ Managing Partner Richard Walsh said, “Madison has projects like this across the country and as a southerner who grew up frequenting New Orleans, this project makes me particularly proud.” 

    The City Council has set the rules, policies and procedures for the deployment of these programs.

    Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the project highlights the city’s commitment to establishing green infrastructure and its role in leading the climate fight.

    Currently, community solar programs, which have been launched in 41 states and Washington, D.C., together generate more than 3.6 GW. In the next five years, the programs are expected to add another 4.3 GW to the national grid. 

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.