SAMPLE Letter (on City Letterhead)
City of Sunnyville
Northwest Solar Communities
c/o Northwest SEED
1402 3rd Ave, Suite 901
Seattle, WA 98101
Dear Northwest Solar Communities Steering Committee:
On behalf of the City of Sunnyville, we are pleased to apply for recognition as a Northwest Solar Community.
Solar energy investments will diversify the energy system, reduce carbon pollution, avoid new transmission lines, produce energy where it is used and improve resiliency. Moreover, we believe developing solar energy presents a major economic development opportunity for Sunnyville and our State.
Families in the Pacific Northwest are increasingly choosing solar energy - creating local jobs, clean energy, and cost savings. Over 25,000 households in the Northwest have installed solar water or energy systems. The Pacific Northwest is also home to some of America’s largest solar manufacturers. Our community is ready to bring the economic and clean energy benefits of solar power to our citizens.
The City of Sunnyville has taken many steps to promote the use of solar energy and make Sunnyville “Open for Solar Business,” as detailed by the attached application.
Specifically, we have:
- Installed solar panels on its own buildings, with X kW capacity
- Streamlined our permitting process by Y and Z.
- Adopted a number of best practices, including providing permitting information online, instituting predictable, flat fees, consolidating inspections, deploying online permits, and generally cutting red tape.
- Promoted Solarize group purchase campaigns
- Co-sponsored solar education events, including Solar Now! University.
- Committed to finance and staff its solar work at a level suitable to meet the requirements needed to qualify as a Northwest Solar Community.
The City of Sunnyville seeks to provide leadership in smart energy stewardship. We believe recognition as a Northwest Solar Community will help highlight our leadership in this area.
Thank you for your consideration.
Regards,
Mayor of Sunnyville Date