Establishing a community solar program for subscribers to gain credits against their utility bills

HB 4111 establishes a community solar program in West Virginia allowing subscribers (residents, renters, and businesses) to receive bill credits for solar energy generated at shared community facilities. Subscribers get credits equal to the kilowatt-hours produced at a rate approved by the Public Service Commission, applied to their monthly utility bills for at least 25 years. The program requires facilities to have at least three subscribers, limit size to 5 MW per site (with a 100 MW aggregate utility cap), and reserve 40% of capacity for low-income households (defined as ≤80% area median income) or small subscriptions (≤25 kW). This directly expands access to solar energy for those who cannot install rooftop systems, such as renters or low-income residents, while ensuring credits are calculated fairly and applied long-term.