The Coalition for Community Solar Access honors outstanding effort in advancing New Mexico’s Community Solar Program
Santa Fe, NM (October 3, 2023) — The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) is marking a year of significant growth and momentum for community solar by recognizing Coalition of Sustainable Communities NM Executive Director Beth Beloff for her outstanding work over the last year to advance the state’s community solar program.
She is among 22 Community Solar Champions nationwide, including state legislators, environmental and sustainability advocates, labor leaders, advocates for disadvantaged communities, and farmers and agricultural groups.
“New Mexico should be grateful for Beth’s efforts uplifting community solar,” Mountain West Senior Regional Director Kevin Cray commented. “Her advocacy across the legislative, regulatory, and implementation spaces has helped make New Mexico poised to be a leader in the region in community solar.”
This year, Beloff is recognized for her work as a steadfast advocate for the successful implementation of New Mexico’s nascent community solar program at the Public Regulation Commission and for her support of Senate Bill 266, sponsored by State Senator Liz Stefanics and Representative Andrea Romero. SB 266 would have established minimum portfolio standards for distributed energy resources (DERs). DERs — which are defined here as consisting of community solar, and behind-the-meter distributed solar as well as energy storage systems — provide vast benefits to New Mexicans and will help achieve the cleanest, most resilient, and least cost grid for the state’s electric customers.
Through community solar, customers can enjoy equal access to the economic and environmental benefits of solar generation by subscribing to small local solar arrays. They then receive a credit on their utility bill for their share of the power that is produced, as if the panels were on their own roof.
An estimated two-thirds of American households do not have access to solar power because they either rent, live in a multi-tenant building or have roofs unable to host a solar system.
There are currently 18 states plus the District of Columbia with policies in place that permit third-party, competitive community solar with multiple states actively advancing legislation to enable new programs.
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About the Coalition for Community Solar Access
The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA) is a national trade association representing over 120 community solar developers, businesses, and nonprofits. Together, we are building the electric grid of the future where every customer has the freedom to support the generation of clean, local solar energy to power their lives. Through legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the support of a diverse coalition — including advocates for competition, clean energy, ratepayers, landowners, farmers, and environmental justice — we enable policies that unlock the potential of distributed energy resources, starting with community solar. For more information, visit https://www.communitysolaraccess.org and follow the group on Twitter (X), LinkedIn, and YouTube.
