Idaho is getting a community solar project. The Boise City Council voted to advance its FY 2027 Proposed Budget to the reading calendar, with a final approval date slated for August 25. The budget includes a $50,000 line item for the city’s first community solar pilot project. This comes after over two years of advocacy from Idaho Sierra Club’s youth team, staff, supporters and partners.
“The city made the commitment to develop community solar projects way back in 2019, but nothing materialized,” said Anise Welty, teen leader on Idaho Sierra Club’s Climate Justice League youth team, referring to the 2019 Boise’s Energy Future plan and subsequent Climate Action Roadmap, which both included the goal to develop 500 kW of community solar projects every five years, starting in 2025. “That’s when we decided to bring the community together and urge the city to make it happen. We marched on City Hall, painted a mural, held events, collected public comments and talked with city staff for months on end. I’m so excited that the city will be doing this pilot project, and can’t wait to see what comes after that, too.”
The community solar pilot will be located on the roof of a city-owned building, using panels donated by a local solar company. As a result, the city will have lower power bills for that building for the next 20+ years. The city will donate $5,000 of those savings each year to El-Ada Community Action Partnership. This will go toward El-Ada’s programs that help low-income residents cover their increasing power bills. The project is defined as “community solar” because the financial benefits are shared with other residents across the city.
“Community solar opens up the benefits of rooftop solar to more community members, especially low-income residents who often don’t have the means to put solar panels on their own roof,” said Lisa Young, Director of Idaho Sierra Club. “We’re proud to have led the effort to create this first-of-its-kind equitable community solar project in Idaho, and are grateful to City of Boise staff and officials for moving this forward with us. We see this pilot project as just the beginning, and look forward to working with the city to expand on these efforts in the near future as power bills and climate change continue to worsen.”
The city’s timing for this project and the financial investment are important, due to federal tax credits for large solar projects expiring at the end of next year, per President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. By installing this solar project in FY 2027, the city will be able to receive the 30% ITC (available to municipalities through a program called Direct Pay) before it sunsets.
Idaho Sierra Club is working with the City of Moscow to develop a similar project in North Idaho. The organization plans to continue with public education and advocacy efforts in Boise and across the state to get more projects off the ground and shift public policy to be more favorable to community solar in Idaho.
News item from Sierra Club
