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Energy Conservation Works, a Teton County energy conservation group, has agreed to lease agricultural land near Afton to build a residential community solar project. It will be the first project of its kind in the Cowboy State.
Zach Isler, a program manager with Energy Conservation Works, said the planned residential community solar project could provide energy for about 400 to 600 homes.
“With a solar project, you do get a return on investment but also, you get those environmental benefits too of having local clean energy,” Isler said.
Customers will have to pay a one-time up front cost to subscribe. They will then receive credit from the utility company to save money on their energy bills.
However, ECW has not finalized exactly what those subscription prices will be. Isler said that should happen this fall and they plan to break ground in December and have the solar project providing energy by the start of 2025.
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A diagram depicting how the planned residential community solar project will work once constructed and producing energy. (Energy Conservation Works)
“In the meantime, we’re going to be getting subscribers, making sure people know exactly how it’s all going to work, getting people excited about it, educating the community. And then, we’re hoping to flip the switch in January of 2025,” Isler said.
The group was formed in 2009 by Teton County, the Town of Jackson and Lower Valley Energy in part — to help the town and county meet their sustainability goals of going carbon neutral by 2030.
Wyoming is the largest coal producing state in the country and ranks 49th out of all 50 states for solar installation in 2023 according to one national solar company.
The project is funded in part by a 5 million dollar 2022 Special Purpose Excise Tax and the federal Inflation Reduction Act.
