Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | November 27, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 33 Community solar needs better data sharing V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L BY JASON KAPLAN Special to WBJ T he Mass. community solar program is thriving, but consumer protection concerns may prevent the program from reaching new heights. e in- consistency in the way electric util- ities Eversource and National Grid share community solar subscriber data creates an unnecessary fric- tion and limits the ability for sub- scribers to maximize savings. e success of any community solar program requires data transparen- cy, so community solar subscriber managers, like PowerMarket, can ensure participants are realizing monthly savings. Community solar is a great product and a no-brainer for any business or household that doesn't want rooop solar, but still wants utility bill savings through local, renewable energy. ere is no on-site installation, no change in how energy is supplied or delivered, and no cost to join or cancel. As a result, nearly everyone can sign up for a project and pay less for electricity. Against the backdrop of high prices and increasing electricity demand, significant growth is taking center stage. Is Mass. ready to capitalize on it? Not until the De- partment of Public Utilities implements some changes. Community solar providers do not receive the same data from local utilities about subscriber usage, which is needed to maximize people's savings. While Nation- al Grid has updated its reports to share critical data, such as bill charges, credit balance, and monthly usage, Eversource does not. Today, if a customer purchases an electric vehicle, installs a heat pump or electric stove, or makes any other changes to their electricity usage, this more permanent change in monthly electricity con- sumption will not be accounted for until we're updated. e responsibility should not be on customers to report this data to their community solar providers. Rather, usage and bill spend information should simply be a standard part of the reports utilities already share on a monthly basis. is current inconsistency negatively impacts customers, solar developers, and providers of community solar services. We call on DPU to require all utilities to implement the community solar program consistently, including the production of subscriber usage and bill spend data with community solar providers on an ongoing monthly basis. We hope others across the energy and business commu- nity in Massachusetts will join us. By making these small, yet important adjustments, Massachusetts will be more attractive to community solar developers, and we can generate more jobs, increase the use of clean energy, and put money back in the pockets of households, education- al institutions, small businesses, and religious groups. And that's a win for everyone. Jason Kaplan is COO and general counsel at New York clean energy firm PowerMarket, which has 12 solar installations in Central Mass. A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y R A M Ó N L . S A N D O V A L Next WooSox owners should be local Jason Kaplan S ince the top minor league baseball franchise of the Boston Red Sox announced in 2018 its plans to relocate from Pawtucket to a new Worcester stadium in 2021, the team has done an excellent job weaving itself into the fabric of the Greater Worcester community. Even though the team's management and ownership had just a few direct connections to the region beforehand, WooSox leadership has made it a point to have representatives at almost every major business and community event, been active in key organizations like the Canal District Alliance, launched a $400,000 foundation, and brought a seemingly endless recognition of community leaders, organizations, and residents out to game days during its first three seasons. e current ownership and management group have been on top of their game, and when the team eventually does have a change in ownership, the more local their roots are, the better. WooSox Chairman Larry Lucchino, who leads the team's nine-person ownership group, told the Unanchored Boston podcast he is looking to sell the team, preferably to a local buyer, as the 78 year old heads into retirement. WooSox officials later walked back those comments somewhat, saying the team has been fielding offers since 2021, but now seems like an advantageous time for Lucchino to transition the WooSox to a new ownership group. Having just wrapped up their third season, the WooSox attendance figures have remained high, and corporate support for the team continues to be solid, as at least 16 of the team's 21 founding corporate sponsors have renewed their deals. Revenues are strong, and their lease at the $160-million Polar Park baseball stadium, which is owned by the City of Worcester, is team friendly. e first few years of the 35-year lease call for payments in the tens of thousands of dollars, while the highest annual payments aren't due until near the end of the lease, including a $10-million payment in the 28th year. With the Luchino group having paid $25 million for the team in 2015, conditions seem favorable for them to receive double that price or more. Who are the top prospects to purchase controlling interest in the team? Minor league baseball already has a handful of corporate owners who've turned the sports into a well-oiled investment opportunity, such as Diamond Baseball Holdings, which has an ownership stake in about 20 teams, including the Portland Sea Dogs in Maine. While such a group may come in with the highest bid, we would encourage Lucchino to go with the local offer. In the late 70s, the Pawtucket Red Sox were bought out of bankruptcy by local owner Ben Mondor, and not only did he turn around their fortunes, but ran the organization superbly for three decades. Having team owners invested in the local community counts for a great deal for a business like the WooSox, and while most of the current ownership has Rhode Island roots, there are a couple in that group of nine with a Worcester connection, most notably Ralph Crowley, whose company Polar Beverages already has its name on the ballpark. A private equity funded corporate owner largely focused on financial returns would be a lot less likely to value the high level of community engagement the WooSox have built, and that community buy-in has a lot to do with the team's long-term success. Whether Lucchino sells his ownership stake in three months or three years, the writing on the wall is clear: the Worcester Red Sox ought to lean local. The above Editorial is the opinion of the WBJ Editorial Board. The Viewpoint column, the A Thousand Words cartoon, and the Word from the Web commentary represent the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of WBJ or its staff. WBJ welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Send them to bkane@wbjournal.com. W W

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