Renters in Ballard, Queen Anne and Magnolia who want solar energy credits on their electric bills moved one step closer to that option on Aug. 5 when a Seattle City Council committee advanced legislation updating City Light's Community Solar Program.

The Parks and City Light Committee voted to recommend passage of two City Light ordinances: CB 121261, which updates the legal framework for the utility's Voluntary Green Power and Community Solar programs, and CB 121269, which authorizes a major amendment to the federal license governing the Boundary Hydroelectric Project. Both now head to the full council for a final vote, likely at the Tuesday, Aug. 11, meeting.

What community solar means for customers

City Light's Community Solar Program would let customers who can't install rooftop panels — renters, condo owners, people with shaded or unsuitable roofs — subscribe to a share of a larger solar array and receive a bill credit for the electricity their portion generates. The utility's website describes the program as still in its "design phase."

The ordinance amends two sections of the Seattle Municipal Code (21.49.084 and 21.49.087) to modernize the program's legal structure. The specific enrollment terms, pricing and eligibility details have not been publicly released.

The legislation also updates City Light's existing voluntary green power option, called "Green Up," which lets customers support regional wind and solar projects for as little as $1 per month. A full 100% match of the average household's 600-kilowatt-hour monthly usage costs about $6.

Boundary Dam: a third of Seattle's power supply

The second ordinance authorizes City Light's general manager to execute a First Amendment to the Boundary Hydroelectric Project's relicensing settlement agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Boundary Dam, a 340-foot concrete arch dam on the Pend Oreille River near Metaline Falls in northeastern Washington, generates up to 35% of Seattle's electricity. Its current FERC license, issued in March 2013, runs through 2055. The amendment modifies terms of the original settlement agreement filed in 2010, though the specific changes have not been detailed in publicly available documents.

The dam's output matters directly to ratepayers.

According to City Light's Powerlines blog, about 42% of customer payments go toward generating power at facilities like Boundary and the Skagit River dams. The committee action comes as City Light customers face an average 9.5% annual rate increase for 2027 and 2028, approved by the council July 21. Typical residential bills will rise roughly $10 per month in each of those years.

Who voted and what's next

Committee Chair Debora Juarez presided over the Aug. 5 session, which ran from 2:03 p.m. to 3:37 p.m. Vice-Chair Robert Kettle, who represents District 7 covering Queen Anne, Magnolia, Belltown and Pioneer Square, sits on the committee alongside members Maritza Rivera, Rob Saka and Dan Strauss.

Both bills need a full council vote to become law. The council typically takes a late-August recess. Residents interested in the Community Solar Program can monitor enrollment details onilne as the program moves from design to implementation.