The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 10 voted unanimously to pursue county partnerships with San Diego Community Power to expand the Disadvantaged Communities Green Tariff (DACGT) program and to identify county‑owned or otherwise leasable sites for small‑scale solar projects.

San Diego Community Power’s director of public affairs said the agency has been allocated 20 megawatts for a Solar Advantage program that could serve up to 9,000 low‑income households and deliver a 20% discount on power bills for income‑eligible customers. The board item asked the county to inventory potential eligible sites and coordinate with Community Power and developers to help deploy the projects.

Why this matters: The DACGT program is a state‑funded mechanism to deploy small, neighborhood‑scale solar coupled with discounts for low‑income residents in disadvantaged census tracts; local partnership and site identification are prerequisites for projects to be feasible.

Public comment included supportive remarks about affordability and clean energy, and critical questions about lithium battery safety, recycling of solar panels, and whether projects impose burdens on nearby communities. Supervisors asked staff to include broader possibilities (rooftop installations, multifamily parking structures) and to engage the Farm Bureau and local stakeholders on siting and community benefits.

Board direction: Supervisors asked the chief administrative officer to inventory county sites and consider a broader set of locations, including rooftop and parking structures; staff were asked to report back and coordinate with San Diego Community Power. The motion passed unanimously.

Authorities referenced: the item involved the California Public Utilities Commission‑funded DACGT program and San Diego Community Power’s Solar Advantage allocation.

Ending: Staff will return with a plan to identify sites and steps for local outreach and technical work to support developers and maximize neighborhood benefits.