Chugach proposes fees for community solar hookups

Chugach Electric Association filed a tariff Thursday imposing new fees on members who want to participate in community solar projects. The Regulatory Commission of Alaska must approve the filing.

The utility proposes application fees of $1,124 for projects under 100 kilowatts and $2,248 for larger facilities. Those fees come on top of the standard interconnection application fee Chugach already requires for generation facilities connecting to its system. Subscribers would pay $2.80 per month in administration charges. The fees apply to Chugach's Community Energy Facility program, which allows members to subscribe to shared renewable energy projects and receive bill credits.

The filing covers the terms, conditions, and fees for interconnection of Community Energy Facilities to Chugach's system. Chugach requested a waiver of state regulations that normally require utilities to justify new fee structures with cost data. The utility did not submit cost justification for the proposed charges.

The commission set a public comment deadline of 5:00 p.m. June 17. Chugach asked for an August 1 effective date, with service to begin January 1, 2027.

Chugach launched Alaska's first utility-sponsored community solar project in 2023, offering Anchorage-area customers the ability to subscribe to panels in a shared array. The new tariff would formalize and expand that framework under regulations the commission adopted in 2022.