Everett Solar Array Powers 30 Homes, Helps 200 Families

A new solar array in South Everett is doing something most renewable energy projects don't: sending its value straight back to the people who need it most.

The 400-kilowatt installation at Walter E. Hall Park generates enough electricity annually to power about 30 homes. But here's where it gets interesting. Every dollar the utility saves by buying this local power goes into an emergency fund that has already helped roughly 200 families pay their electric bills.

St. Vincent de Paul administers the Community Energy Fund, which has distributed more than $40,000 to income-qualified customers since the project began. That's real money keeping lights on and refrigerators running in South Everett homes.

The project came together because the utility asked neighbors what they wanted, not what engineers thought they needed. At a 2022 summer carnival, residents chose the name: El Sol al Alcance de tus Manos, which translates to "The sun at your fingertips."

Students from Horizon Elementary and the Denny Juvenile Justice Center painted colorful suns and hands on the fence surrounding the panels. The artwork transforms what could have been industrial infrastructure into something the neighborhood can claim as its own.

Mayor Cassie Franklin highlighted another win at Saturday's ribbon cutting. The city built a new accessible pathway connecting the Westmont and Holly neighborhoods directly to the park, something residents had requested for years.

The timing helps too. Casino Road carries heavy summer electrical loads from nearby industrial activity, and the panels ease pressure on the local grid during the hottest days when air conditioners run full blast.

More than 80% of the $2.5 million price tag came from state and federal grants and tax credits. Washington's Clean Energy Fund contributed $861,814 specifically earmarked for low-income community solar projects.

Jennifer Grove from the Washington Department of Commerce called community solar "protein on solar" because it delivers both climate benefits and affordability in one package. She praised the collaboration between the utility, community organizations, and residents.

City Councilmember Luis Burbano noted how infrastructure usually divides neighborhoods, but this project does the opposite. The new walking path will give his daughter Hannah a shorter route to the park playground while connecting neighbors who previously had few reasons to interact.

Commissioner Julieta Altamirano-Crosby emphasized that the utility wanted to develop the project with the neighborhood, not just place it in the neighborhood. That distinction mattered to residents who have historically had little say in what gets built around them.

The Ripple Effect

The Casino Road project proves clean energy doesn't require choosing between environmental goals and immediate community needs. Families get bill assistance today while the panels reduce carbon emissions for decades.

The student artwork means kids growing up in South Everett will see their own creativity every time they pass the solar farm. They'll remember they helped build something that powers their city.

And that accessible pathway? It's already connecting neighbors who can now walk together to the park, learn each other's names, and build the kind of community bonds that make neighborhoods stronger.

One solar farm is changing how 200 families pay their bills, how students see themselves in clean energy, and how two neighborhoods connect with each other.

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