1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Pa78kWN5cr"><a href="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2020/01/31/nexamp-and-clearway-two-new-community-solar-offers-available-to-illinois-consumers/">Nexamp and Clearway: Two new community solar offers available to Illinois consumers</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/blog/2020/01/31/nexamp-and-clearway-two-new-community-solar-offers-available-to-illinois-consumers/embed/#?secret=Pa78kWN5cr" width="600" height="338" title="“Nexamp and Clearway: Two new community solar offers available to Illinois consumers” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="Pa78kWN5cr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> In this article, we’ll break down the terms and conditions of two community solar offers advertised by Nexamp and Clearway. Let’s start with the basics  What is “community solar”? Community solar is an exciting new program in Illinois that can help reduce your electric bill while supporting the development of new solar projects. Thanks to a 2016 law, the Future Energy Jobs Act, community solar allows ComEd and Ameren customers to now “go solar” without actually installing panels on their property. Under the program, you can subscribe to a portion of the electricity produced by a solar installation—called a community solar garden—and in return, receive credits that reduce your electric bill. Community solar is just getting off the ground in Illinois, but we expect many projects to come online later in 2020. Before community solar developers can connect the garden to the grid, they need to secure a certain number of subscribers. Community solar companies are signing people up in advance for when their solar gardens go live later this year. If you sign up now through either of these offers, you will not be charged anything until the community solar garden you are assigned to is connected to the grid and you begin to receive credits on your electric bill. How will signing up for the Nexamp or Clearway community solar offer affect my electric bill? Your community solar provider will use your energy usage history to determine your subscription size. You can think of your subscription size as how many panels you are subscribing to, and it is measured in kilowatts (kW). Each month your subscription will produce solar energy, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Once the community solar project you are assigned to is completed, your monthly electric bill will include community solar bill credits. The total amount you are saving monthly from these credits will vary as the solar production of your subscription varies. In addition to your reduced electric bill, you will also pay a second monthly bill to the community solar company. Even though you are now receiving two bills, you will still save money, overall. Both Nexamp and Clearway will bill you for the value of the credits applied to your utility bill, but at a rate that is 20% lower than the standard utility supply cost. What if I am with an alternative electric supplier? We have heard that some alternate suppliers will not give you community solar credits at the default utility supply rate. This could leave you in a situation where you are being overcharged for the electricity you use, and under-credited for your community solar subscription, forfeiting your community solar savings and paying more than you need to. Additionally, if you are signed up with an alternative electric supplier, there’s a high likelihood that they are overcharging you. To avoid being credited for your community solar subscription at less than the utility supply rate, CUB recommends canceling your alternate supplier before you sign up for community solar. Even if you aren’t on community solar, alternate supplier deals are almost always bad deals. (Read our fact sheets on electric competition, for ComEd customers and Ameren customers.) What does CUB think about these two offers? Community solar allows more Illinois consumers to support renewable energy, and CUB is pleased to see these offers hit the […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CaptureNexamp-1024x358.jpg