U.S. Department of Energy

Exploring Community-Scale Solar in Washington

Ruby Moore-Bloom
December 4, 2025

The Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) has been focused on how communities can reap the benefits of the clean energy transitions on their own terms since releasing Community-Defined Decarbonization in 2022.

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are one potential option for local communities to enjoy energy improvements. DERs are becoming cheaper just as demand for electricity is surging, which could make them a critical component of the region’s clean energy future. This is especially true as the Northwest grapples with significant anticipated load growth and potential resource adequacy constraints.

To date, CETI has not been able to fully explore DERS with its economy-wide modeling efforts. However, through a partnership with University of Washington (UW) researchers and with a UW Population Health award, CETI developed The Sun Also Rises in Washington. This project explores the role of one type of DER—community-scale solar—which the project team defined as mid-sized solar arrays that are connected to the distribution grid and aim to provide local benefits.

Although Washington is not the sunniest state, there is still significant photovoltaic potential—the number of watt-hours (Wh) of electricity generated per installed watt (W) of solar power—especially in the summer. Washington is in fact  home to the nation’s first community solar project, a 36 kilowatt (kW) system that the City of Ellensburg municipal utility installed in 2006.

The Sun Also Rises in Washington is a StoryMap that explains the benefits of community-scale solar and highlights existing projects throughout the state through a series of interactive visualizations.

Depending on the project design, community-scale solar can bring benefits that include household bill savings, contributions of clean energy to the region’s grid, and local energy resilience. We invite you to explore the critical role that community-scale solar can play in Washington’s clean energy future:  

The Sun Also Rises in Washington

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Ruby Moore-Bloom

Research Analyst
Ruby Moore-Bloom is a Research Analyst at CETI who serves as technical project manager and/or provides research support for all CETI contract projects. She oversees the Northwest Clean Energy Atlas, which explores energy data relevant to deep decarbonization in the Northwest in interactive data visualizations. She has led all follow-up work related to the NZNW Workforce Analysis, including the Washington Department of Commerce Residential Energy Efficiency Workforce Needs Assessment; the Washington Department of Commerce Washington Refinery Study; and the Renewable Northwest and BWR Offshore Wind Jobs Study. Ruby also led CETI’s Clean Materials Manufacturing project, which provided research for industrial stakeholders and policymakers to understand different methods for decarbonizing six of Washington state’s manufacturing sectors.
FULL BIO & OTHER POSTS

Exploring Community-Scale Solar in Washington

Ruby Moore-Bloom
December 4, 2025
Children of the Sun Solar Initiative. This DOE-funded solar project is helping the Spokane Tribe reduce monthly energy costs for its homeowners from $240 to fewer than $9.
U.S. Department of Energy

The Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) has been focused on how communities can reap the benefits of the clean energy transitions on their own terms since releasing Community-Defined Decarbonization in 2022.

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are one potential option for local communities to enjoy energy improvements. DERs are becoming cheaper just as demand for electricity is surging, which could make them a critical component of the region’s clean energy future. This is especially true as the Northwest grapples with significant anticipated load growth and potential resource adequacy constraints.

To date, CETI has not been able to fully explore DERS with its economy-wide modeling efforts. However, through a partnership with University of Washington (UW) researchers and with a UW Population Health award, CETI developed The Sun Also Rises in Washington. This project explores the role of one type of DER—community-scale solar—which the project team defined as mid-sized solar arrays that are connected to the distribution grid and aim to provide local benefits.

Although Washington is not the sunniest state, there is still significant photovoltaic potential—the number of watt-hours (Wh) of electricity generated per installed watt (W) of solar power—especially in the summer. Washington is in fact  home to the nation’s first community solar project, a 36 kilowatt (kW) system that the City of Ellensburg municipal utility installed in 2006.

The Sun Also Rises in Washington is a StoryMap that explains the benefits of community-scale solar and highlights existing projects throughout the state through a series of interactive visualizations.

Depending on the project design, community-scale solar can bring benefits that include household bill savings, contributions of clean energy to the region’s grid, and local energy resilience. We invite you to explore the critical role that community-scale solar can play in Washington’s clean energy future:  

The Sun Also Rises in Washington

‍

‍To get CETI updates straight to your inbox, sign up for our mailing list.

Ruby Moore-Bloom

Research Analyst
Ruby Moore-Bloom is a Research Analyst at CETI who serves as technical project manager and/or provides research support for all CETI contract projects. She oversees the Northwest Clean Energy Atlas, which explores energy data relevant to deep decarbonization in the Northwest in interactive data visualizations. She has led all follow-up work related to the NZNW Workforce Analysis, including the Washington Department of Commerce Residential Energy Efficiency Workforce Needs Assessment; the Washington Department of Commerce Washington Refinery Study; and the Renewable Northwest and BWR Offshore Wind Jobs Study. Ruby also led CETI’s Clean Materials Manufacturing project, which provided research for industrial stakeholders and policymakers to understand different methods for decarbonizing six of Washington state’s manufacturing sectors.
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