Southern Pioneer Introduces Community Solar Program For Residential Consumers

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Going solar has never been easier! With Southern Pioneer’s new Community Solar subscription program, customers share in the benefits of solar power without the long-term commitment, risks, costs and maintenance hassles associated with the installation of rooftop panels.

Installing rooftop solar panels can often be prohibitively expensive for households and requires navigating local zoning laws and the complexities of homeowner’s insurance. Southern Pioneer’s Community Solar program was created to provide residential customers with an alternative to rooftop solar. It offers customers an option for convenient, economic solar participation for both renters and homeowners who may have inadequate solar irradiance on their roof (too much shade) and gives those uncertain about solar power a flexible option for exploring its benefits.

The program is a part of Sunflower Electric Power Corporation’s renewable energy rider, administered on a retail level by Sunflower’s seven member-owners, one of which is Southern Pioneer. Sunflower provides its utility members with wholesale power generation and transmission services, and the Community Solar program will use Sunflower’s 20 MW Johnson Corner Solar facility located near Johnson City in Stanton County.

“We’re excited the new Community Solar program offers our customers an easy way to make their energy consumption more sustainable by buying from a local, renewable resource,” said Rae Gorman, manager of energy services. “Southern Pioneer remains committed to making sure all forms of affordable, reliable energy solutions are available to those we serve.”

Participation in Community Solar is limited to residential customers of Southern Pioneer. Subscriptions are available on a first-come, first-served basis at a cost of $4 per share per month. One share is equivalent to 125 kWh or two solar panels. Community Solar subscriptions are an addition to customers’ bill and includes an adjustment based upon the market performance of Johnson Corner. The adjustment will be a line item on customers’ bills.

Customers can find program requirements, frequently asked questions, and other Community Solar information here.

Our Pay-by-Phone Number is Changing

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Beginning Thursday, March 27, customers who make a payment over the phone must dial our new pay-by-phone number at 1-844-961-2534. Customers with questions or concerns may call our office at 1 (800) 670-4381 during regular business hours (M-F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.).

SPP Conservative Operations Update 2/20 12 P.M.

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CONSERVATIVE OPERATIONS UPDATE | 2/20/25 @ 12 P.M.
At this time, grid conditions appear to be holding stable. The current Conservative Operations alert is scheduled to end at 1 p.m. today.
We’d like to take a moment to address some questions we’ve received regarding extreme weather events and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP).
How will fluctuating energy prices affect my energy bill?
Southern Pioneer Electric’s generation and transmission provider, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, evaluates grid conditions and prices to decide on how best to protect its customers from high energy prices. For the past several years, Sunflower has implanted a “hedge” against high prices in the wholesale energy market during extreme weather months (winter and summer). This hedge acts as added protection for Southern Pioneer customers from extreme fluctuations in SPP market energy prices.
Are EEA events limited to just a specific season or time of year?
Advisories and alerts can be issued at any time during the year but are most common during periods of extreme temperatures. In this instance, the impacts of regionally cold temperatures on the SPP’s 14-state footprint have contributed to increased demand in power.
When will rolling outages occur?
The SPP has several levels of advisories and alerts it can issue during extreme weather events. Rolling outages do not occur until an Energy Emergency Alert level 3. However, grid conditions can change rapidly and without much notice. Southern Pioneer wants to ensure our customers are informed in case a public appeal to conserve energy is made or if there is a heightened potential of rolling outages.