By Shannon Lukens.

 

Lower-income electricity customers can now apply to receive two years of credits off their electric bill from the Rays Up Community Solar Garden. It’s all through Yampa Valley Electric Association which owns and operates the solar garden. This is for any YVEA member in their service territory. The Community Budget Center in Craig is processing and evaluating the applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Proof of income is required.

Application Link and More Information

 

 

Press Release from Yampa Valley Electric; January 2024.

 

Headline: 2024 Rays Up Community Solar Garden Application Process Open

Yampa Valley Electric Association’s (YVEA) Rays Up Community Solar Garden is now accepting applications.

In 2016, Yampa Valley Electric Association (YVEA) and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) and GRID Alternatives partnered to develop a community solar array which is dedicated to partially offsetting electric bills for income qualified YVEA members. This solar garden is now 100% owned and operated by YVEA. Members participating in this program will receive a partial bill offset from the energy produced by their portion of the community solar array, and their lease agreement will be for two years.

Steve Johnson, YVEA CEO says, “At YVEA, we support members who struggle to pay their bills in many different ways, whether that being us helping them in house or directing them to an outside agency. Rays Up is another way in which we’re proud to support our community members through this bill offset program.”

The previous cycle, which ran from April 2022 – 2024, members saw bill offsets totaling $23,417.69 as of December 2024). This was spread out amongst 35 participants.

YVEA is working with the Community Budget Center to process and evaluate applications, which will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Proof of income for all adult household members is required with any applications. For all adult household members (18+) who filed Federal Income Taxes: please provide 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ Form from their most recent year’s Federal Income Tax Return. For all household members (except those under 18 years of age) who are not legally required to file Federal Income Taxes: please provide documentation for each source of income. Acceptable income documents include yearly Social Security statements/award letters (SS, SSI, SSDI), yearly pension statement, W-2s (job income), tax form 1099 (investments or other miscellaneous income), etc. Pay stubs and bank statements are acceptable.

If members are unsure of what to send with their application, please contact the Community Budget Center at 970-824-7898.

For an application or more information on Rays Up Community Solar Garden, please visit https://www.yvea.com/energy-efficiency/renewables/solar/community-solar/rays-up-community-solar/