Unique non-subscription community solar array proposed for Boise, Idaho

Boise is moving ahead with its first community solar project, a $50,000 pilot included in the city's FY 2027 budget, which the City Council has advanced with a final vote set for August 25. Solar panels donated by a local company will go on the roof of a city-owned building. This will lower that building's power bills for more than 20 years, and the city plans to give $5,000 of those savings each year to El-Ada Community Action Partnership, a group that helps low-income residents with rising power bills. That's what makes it "community solar" — the savings are shared with people across the city rather than just benefiting one property owner.

The project follows more than two years of pressure from Idaho Sierra Club's youth team, who pushed the city to follow through on a 2019 commitment to build 500 kilowatts of community solar every five years starting in 2025. The timing also matters for cost: federal tax credits for large solar projects are set to expire at the end of next year under recent federal legislation. By building in FY 2027, the city can still claim a 30% tax credit through a program called Direct Pay, which lets municipalities receive that credit directly.

This particular project won't put panels on anyone's home or offer a subscription homeowners can sign up for. But it signals that Boise is restarting its community solar efforts, and a similar project is in the works in Moscow, Idaho. Homeowners interested in local solar options may want to watch for how these pilots expand.