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Ruth Amundsen & Alden Cleanthes

Norfolk Solar, LLC

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Norfolk Solar QOZ Fund

    • Started $750K family fund in 2019 using QOZ tax law
    • Installed 10 solar systems in under-resourced QOZ neighborhoods
    • Hired & trained QOZ residents as solar installers

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Norfolk Solar LLC

    • Works with other solar investors to install solar via Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

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Solar Installs (so far)

    • Three churches
    • Boys and Girls club
    • Habitat for Humanity
    • Five family businesses
    • Six homes

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Virginia Solar Landscape

    • Virginia is a net-metered state
    • PPAs allowed for large utilities and co-ops with some limitations
    • Two largest utilities mandated to produce electricity carbon-free by 2045 & 2050
    • 4 GW of solar installed by end of 2022
    • Moderate SREC market
    • State Corporation Commission (SCC) in charge of solar regulation

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Dominion Energy Actions

    • Dec 2022 Dominion released new solar interconnection rules
    • New costs, delays and complexity fatal to commercial solar
    • No legal mandate – SCC has responsibility
    • Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance (VA-DSA) won SCC case – rules declared illegal
    • Dominion now using reduced rules set approved by single hearing examiner

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VA-DSA Plans

    • Three-pronged approach
      • Push for solar empowerment in VA legislation
      • Request SCC full evidentiary hearing
      • Submit shareholder resolution at Dominion
    • SCC hearing request in-work
    • Shareholder resolution suggests transition to benefit corporation, reduces excessive profit focus

www.vasolaralliance.org

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    • Legal costs for SCC cases projected at $200K
      • $100K raised and paid to date
    • Solar installers afraid to speak against utility
    • Legislation difficult due to Dominion’s $11M annual political donations
      • Clean Virginia opposition effort is growing
      • 1/3 of Virginia legislature committed to not accept Dominion money

VA-DSA Challenges

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    • US electric utilities need re-structuring
      • Profit motive over-riding common good, impeding progress toward carbon reduction
      • Performance-based contracting can allow utility to benefit from energy efficiency gains
      • Utility donations to legislature that controls their fate must be stopped
    • Examples like Vermont Green Mountain Power give hope
    • Renewables technology exists to cut carbon, we need the political will to enact it

Conclusions

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Questions?

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Pioneer Install of Home Solar w/PPA

    • Residential PPA (Power Purchase Agreement)
      • Home PPA allowed as of July 2020 by Virginia Clean Economy Act
        • Only for low-income residents
      • Ruth is only one to do this so far, has installed solar on 6 homes to date
      • Way for folks to get solar with no money out-of-pocket

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Income limits by number of people in household (for Hampton Roads)

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2

3

4

5

6

$52,400

$59,850

$67,350

$74,800

$80,800

$86,800

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PPA example: First Baptist Berkley

    • 68.5 kW installed in 2019
    • Cost $114K
    • Tax credits $76K
    • Electric rate $0.105/kWh
    • Annual after-tax solar income $7K
    • Term 7.5 years
    • Annual after-tax profit 1.5%

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Resources

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