A group of Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative members will use the electric cooperative’s annual meeting to encourage board members to support options that ensure the right of SVEC’s members to go solar.
The meeting will be held Thursday, June 8, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the JMU Convocation Center in Harrisonburg.
“I’m pleased that SVEC is providing a venue and opportunity to respond to the demand for solar energy among its members,” said SVEC member Chris Bolgiano. “Solar helps us take control of where our electricity comes from, creates local jobs, and ensures our electric grid is more reliable.”
Solar supporters will use the meeting to let management and Board members know that there is strong support to expand net metering, which enables homeowners who go solar to receive fair compensation for the electricity their systems generate. They will also push for SVEC to create a real community solar program. Community solar enables renters, or homeowners who are unable to put solar on their own roofs to benefit from solar. Community solar allows participants to invest in and benefit from solar that is not generated on the participants’ property. Lastly, the solar advocates will push SVEC to install solar on its own headquarters building currently under construction in Winchester.
“The benefit of being a member of an electric cooperative is that it provides you a say in your local electric market,” said SVEC member Sandy Greene. “We’re taking this opportunity to show that solar has broad support among SVEC members.”
The group of SVEC members has worked diligently to educate fellow members about the benefits of solar and the opportunity they have as electric cooperative members to take control of where their electricity comes from with solar.
More than 20 SVEC members have already reached out to the electric cooperative through a petition to urge SVEC to support solar.
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