Westar Energy will be constructing a "community solar installation" in Reno County. The company says it's an opportunity for customers to participate in clean energy without rooftop construction.
Westar says that any customer can sign up for "shares" of the solar power installation through their current account.
Residential customers can sign up for 1 to 4 shares with a 5- to 20-year commitment. A 1 kW share will mean about 150-kilowatt hours, or about one-quarter of an average customer's use per month.
With the addition, Westar says that it will be generating emission-free electricity equal to half of the power needs.
The company says that residential customer bills can be expected to increase around $10 dollars per share. The solar energy will mix with the other energy sources, so the solar energy will not be directly sent out to homes.
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Aileen LeBlanc is news director at KMUW. Follow her on Twitter @Aileen_LeBlanc.
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