VCS Progress Report to Potential Investors & Community Members:
We want to update Backbone supporters, fellow Vashon Islanders and potential investors on our proposed Vashon Community Solar (VCS) project at the King County Transfer Station on Vashon.
Since late October we have been working with a multi-departmental team at the County. We’ve identified an empty expanse of land north of the Vashon recycling centre as ideal: excellent solar exposure, easy access to the main panel, reasonable security, and no conflicting plans for other usage. The site is large enough to permit installation of the largest size solar array permitted under the legislation, generating up to 75 kW, and thus will have good economies of scale.
VCS is far along in working through legal, financial and accounting issues and will be poised to sign up investors quickly when we get the green light from the County, thereby maximizing the remaining production incentive period. We still plan on offering investment units in multiples of $1,000 (with $1,000 as the minimum).
The County have a mandate to increase their use of renewable energy but they have advised that they will only put the effort into installing community solar if it has the potential to be a large-scale, multi-site program. They are in the process of identifying likely sites and devising template agreements that can:
- be executed as quickly (because of the fixed-term incentive period) as County procedures permit, and
- apply at every site.
The County must obtain approval for each specific site. The discussions are taking rather longer than we would wish, but the excellent site and the ground-breaking nature of the project keep ‘our eyes on the prize’.
Vashon’s project is the furthest along, and has been a helpful prototype to the County for fleshing out various issues. We’re excited at the idea of this positive, public-private partnership and are striving to install the array in time for the long sunny days of summer. Your support will be essential in bringing the project to reality. We thank the hundred-plus people who have taken the VCS survey and encourage everyone else to do so, at www.vashoncommunitysolar.org
Stay tuned!
with gratitude,
Carol Eggen & Bill Moyer
Vashon Community Solar
(A project of the Backbone Campaign)
