MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Mount Dora Electric Utility customers can now apply to have some or all of their power be solar-generated.
Instead of installing their own solar panels, customers can apply to the Mount Dora Community Solar Program by following the links on CityOfMountDora.com, where they can choose from having 25%, 50% or even 100% of their power come from the Mount Dora Community Solar Farm, which was unveiled in March.
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According to Steve Langley, the city’s electric utility director, many Mount Dora residents have expressed interest in solar options for several years now.
“Unlike traditional rooftop solar options where customers have to mount solar panels onto their homes, the Mount Dora Community Solar Program allows customers to continue to utilize the same utility company for power and decide how much of their electricity comes from clean, renewable energy,” Langely said in a statement.
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We spoke with Mount Dora Mayor Crissy Stile, who told us the beauty of the program was in how customers won’t have to install their own panels.
“All of the solar power that’s generated goes to our electric grid and then it’s dispersed to homes currently, so when you sign up for the solar program there’s nothing additional that goes on your home, you’re just being charged for solar power instead of being charged for the power being created from natural gas,” she said. “There is a charge to hook up, to have this solar adjustment, but I will say in the future when gas prices fluctuate — because they always do increase, we had a huge increase last year, had residents complaining about their electric bill — this will keep your bill on the steady so that you don’t see those fluctuations in costs.”
According to a news release, customers can opt into the program at a rate that accounts for the difference between solar energy and natural gas energy. For 1,000 kilowatt hours — what the release calls the average usage — a fee of $4.99 will be added to one’s electric bill, yet that could change depending on the cost of natural gas.
Customers interested in the program can also call 352-735-7151 for more information.
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