,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afgj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bg1     
#bjag ,mr4 ,bennet 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,heinrich7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,secretary of ,energy to    
establish a program to increase         
participation in community solar and the
 receipt of associated benefits1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title      
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,community ,solar ,consumer ,choice ,act
 of #bjag4  #b4 ,community solar  7a7   
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,community solar ,the term community    
solar means a solar power plant1 through
 which the benefits of the electricity  
produced is shared by two or more       
electricity customers4  7#b7 ,secretary 
,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of ,energy4  7#c7 ,subscriber
 ,the term subscriber means an          

electricity customer who receives direct
 economic benefits associated with the  
proportional output of the community    
solar facility of the customer4  7b7    
,establishment of ,community ,solar     
,consumer ,choice ,program  7#a7 ,in    
general ,not later than #a year after   
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary shall establish a program to 
expand community solar options to--     
7,a7 individuals1 particularly          
individuals that do not have regular    
access to onsite solar1 including low-  
and moderate-income individuals2  7,b7  
businesses2  7,c7 nonprofit             
organizations2 and  7,d7 ,states and    
local and tribal governments4  7#b7     
,alignment with existing ,federal       
programs ,the ,secretary shall align the
 program under paragraph 7#a7 with      
existing ,federal programs that serve   
low-income communities4  7#c7           
,assistance to ,state and local         
governments ,in carrying out the program
 under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary   

shall-- 7,a7 provide technical          
assistance to ,states and local and     
tribal governments for projects to      
increase community solar2  7,b7 assist  
,states and local and tribal governments
 in the development of new and          
innovative financial and business models
 that leverage competition in the       
marketplace in order to serve community 
solar subscribers2 and  7,c7 use        
,national ,laboratories 7as defined in  
section #b of the ,energy ,policy ,act  
of #bjje 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aehja77 to     
collect and disseminate data that       
assists private entities in the         
financing of1 subscription to1 and      
operation of community solar projects4  
7c7 ,federal ,government participation  
in community solar ,the ,federal        
,government is encouraged to participate
 in community solar projects1 including 
by subscribing to community solar       
facilities4