Letter to the Editor: Community Solar Program

To the editor,

If you live in Clarkstown or Orangetown, you probably received a letter recently about community solar from your town. As a longtime leader in Rockland Sierra Club, I’m getting questions from friends and neighbors about these letters so I thought to answer here.

The letters from the town supervisors are about an innovative community solar program sponsored by the towns through a collaborative arrangement called Rockland Community Power.

The Rockland Community Power community solar program makes clean energy available to residents and small businesses in the two towns at about 10% less than your current O & R bills. There really is no downside: clean energy and at lower cost.

Many of us are confused by a deluge of mailings from energy companies. But this recent letter from your town supervisor is different. It has been carefully vetted to protect consumers by avoiding hidden charges, credit checks and exit fees.

For years Sierra Club has been doing everything we can to promote local action on climate change. We’re thrilled that this program is now available to Rockland residents because it is imperative that we transition as quickly as possible to clean energy. Now the towns have made it easy for you with this program and are ensuring consumer protection. You can learn more at www.rocklandcommunitypower.com. If you live in another municipality, you can sign up for the same community solar through www.joulecommunitypower.com.

Deborah Turner