Information was provided by Monterey Bay Community Power.

On March 15, Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) announced the launch of Project Sunshine, a solar incentive program dedicated to assisting affordable housing residents by providing no-cost solar for families with limited or fixed incomes in partnership with GRID Alternatives.

“When the vision for MBCP was created, there was a very clear need and desire to direct benefits to our underserved communities and residents,” said MBCP CEO Tom Habashi in a recent press release. “Thanks to this collaboration with GRID Alternatives, Project Sunshine exemplifies that commitment as well as MBCP’s overarching mission to provide cleaner energy at a lower cost while contributing to the economic vitality of the Monterey Bay region.”

According to a press release, based on revenues from year one of operation, Monterey Bay Community Power has set aside $1.25 million in funding for 2019 energy programs, the first of which is Project Sunshine. The goal of Project Sunshine is to support solar installations for up to 20 families and potentially equate to $500,000 in bill savings over the life of the solar projects. MBCP is expected to roll out additional energy programs later this year, including an EV incentive program worth $725,000 for MBCP customers, as well as an EV Infrastructure Program which includes $6 million in additional funding from the California Energy.

“GRID Alternatives is thrilled to have this partnership with MBCP that allows us to expand our impact in the tri-county area,” said Justin Hitchcock, executive director of GRID Alternatives Central Coast. “Every solar installation we complete comes out of a great collaborative effort of community partners. The impact of this effort is also shared by the community, from the families realizing electricity cost savings, to the job-trainees gaining new employable solar skills, to everyone benefiting collectively from a reduced carbon footprint and reduced air pollution.”

Project Sunshine funding is limited, so interested MBCP customer families and residents are encouraged to go through the pre-qualifying and application processes as soon as possible. Applicants can learn if they qualify by visiting www.gridsolar.org/ or by calling (866) 921-4696. After completing the prequalification process, applicants are required to meet with a GRID Alternatives customer representative and complete the final application together, the press release said.

Commission to offset costs associated with installing or upgrading EV charging stations, the press release said.