Committee explores solar power to reduce electricity costs
GRF FACILITIES COMMITTEE
Town hall set for Feb. 9 in CH 4 from 2-4 p.m.
by Mike Banfield
GRF Director
The GRF Board will hold a town hall on Feb. 9 in Clubhouse 4 from 2-4 p.m. to discuss plans to install various solar projects in Leisure World, including consideration of a solar farm, and rooftop solar for several clubhouses and the Administration building.
The 2026 GRF budget line item for Trust property-related electricity cost is $587,600. In terms of the 2026 GRF carrying charges that accounted for $7.41 per month for each residential unit.
California’s electricity costs have risen dramatically, with residential rates surging around 47-96% between 2019-2024, significantly outpacing national averages and inflation.
That has been driven mainly by massive investments in grid hardening, wildfire safety, and clean energy infrastructure by major utilities like Southern California Edison (SCE). Recent years saw double-digit annual percentage increases, with some customer bills jumping over 13-23% annually, far exceeding general economic trends. In the coming years California electricity costs are expected to continue rising significantly.
The GRF Facilities Committee has been evaluating one alternative that could save electricity costs in the near term and control increases far into the future.
That alternative is to install a solar farm on the unused strip of GRF property between the Leisure World wall and Westminster Boulevard.
In response to a request for proposal (RFP) issued by GRF, one bidder projected a significant reduction in electricity costs during the first year of operation and reaches into seven figures over the next 30 years.
The farm will be funded by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), under which an outside company builds and maintains the farm and charges GRF for the electricity it uses at a lower rate than would have been paid to SCE.
The owner of the PPA is partially compensated for its investment by taking advantage of the associated federal solar rebate, which GRF cannot use to due to its non-profit status. However, to qualify for that rebate, the project must begin installation no later than June 2026.
The Facilities Solar Subcommitee will present its initial findings at the Jan. 27 GRF Board meeting in Clubhouse 4 at 10 a.m. The Facilities Committee plans to complete deliberations, including public comments, in time to present to the GRF Board at its Feb. 24 board meeting.
In the interest of time, residents can start sending comments to GRFboard@lwsb.com or drop them off at the LW Weekly building near the Amphitheater. Hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday.
