Idaho is getting a community solar project. The Boise City Council has voted to place the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget on the reading calendar, with a final approval date scheduled for August 25. The budget includes a $50,000 line item for the city’s first solar pilot project. This comes after more than two years of advocacy Idaho Sierra Club youth team, staff, supporters and partners.
“The city made a commitment back in 2019 to develop community solar projects, but nothing has come of it,” said Anise Welty, teen leader of the Idaho Sierra Club’s Climate Justice League youth team, referring to the Boise’s 2019 Energy Future Plan and subsequent ones Roadmap for climate actionboth of which include a goal of developing 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 this happen. We marched on City Hall, painted a mural, held events, gathered public comments, and spoke with city staff for months. I’m so excited that the city is doing this pilot project, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
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 energy bills for that building for the next twenty years. The city donates $5,000 of those savings annually El-Ada Community Action Partnership. This will go toward El-Ada’s programs that help low-income residents cover their rising utility bills. The project is defined as ‘community solar’ because the financial benefits are shared with other residents in the city.
“Community solar makes the benefits of rooftop solar available to more community members, especially low-income residents who often don’t have the resources to install solar panels on their own roofs,” said Lisa Young, executive director of the Idaho Sierra Club. “We are proud to have led the effort to create this first equitable community solar project in Idaho, and are grateful to the City of Boise staff and officials for moving this forward with us. We view this pilot project as just the beginning and look forward to working with the City to expand these efforts in the near future as utility bills and climate change continue to worsen.”
The city’s timing for this project and financial investments are important because federal tax credits for large solar projects expire at the end of next year, according to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. By installing this solar project in FY 2027, the city can receive the 30% ITC (available to municipalities through a program called Direct Pay) before it goes under.
Idaho Sierra Club is working with the City of Moscow to develop a similar project in Northern Idaho. The organization plans to continue public education and advocacy in Boise and across the state to get more projects off the ground and make public policy more favorable to community solar in Idaho.
News item from Sierra Club
