Become a SNAP Producer

Participation in the Sustainable Natural Alternative Power (SNAP) program is available to Chelan County PUD customers with systems generating 25 kilowatts or less. Most SNAP producers are generating solar power, but these renewable options also are eligible for the program: wind, geothermal energy, landfill gas, wave or tidal action, gas produced by the treatment of wastewater, qualified hydropower, or biomass energy based on solid organic fuels from wood, forest or field residues or dedicated energy crops.

Producers are paid once a year for the power they generate from a pool of funds created by customer contributions. The amount paid by Chelan County PUD to individual SNAP producers depends on the total contributed to the program by PUD customers and the total generated by all SNAP producers. The greater the amount contributed by SNAP supporters, the greater the amount that will be distributed among SNAP producers.

For example, if a SNAP producer generates 1 percent of the total SNAP power produced, and SNAP purchasers contributed $30,000 to the SNAP fund, then the SNAP producer would receive an annual SNAP payment of $300 ($30,000 times 1 percent). (These payments are only estimates. Chelan County PUD cannot guarantee the amount of revenue producers will receive from installing a SNAP generator.)

SNAP producers also receive 75 percent of the Market Off-Peak Average for the power they produce. Producers that are net-metered do not receive this; these producers receive a kWh credit of 2.7 cents for their production.

Producers are paid once a year, on or around April 22, which is Earth Day. The following is a breakdown of annual payments since the program's inception:

Period	SNAP Income	Production (kWh)	Annual Payment
2001-02	$2,379	1,586	$1.50/kWh
2002-03	$35,869	30,722	$1.17/kWh
2003-04	$26,298	34,329	$0.77/kWh
2004-05	$30,171	64,840	$0.47/kWh
2005-06	$28,157	112,840	$0.25/kWh
2006-07	$28,790	136,065	$0.21/kWh
2007-08	$27,959	113,498	$0.25/kWh
2008-09	$26,189	117,120	$0.22/kWh
2009-10	$24,310	116,709	$0.21/kWh
2010-11	$25,506	117,792	$0.22/kWh
2011-12	$24,986	156,911	$0.16/kWh
2012-13	$24,675	175,142	$0.14/kWh
2013-14	$22,680	218,709	$0.10/kWh
2014-15	$21,555	248,240	$0.09/kWh
2015-16	$20,804	311,867	$0.067/kWh
2016-17	$19,473	441,418	$0.0441/kWh
2017-18	$18,329	501,953	$0.0365/kWh
2018-19	$17,275	527,724	$0.0327/kWh

A new program for renewable energy systems began in July 2017 and is open to new producers through June 2021. The program runs through June 2028.

• The legacy program continues through June 30, 2020 for current participants, but the program is closed to new entrants.
• Residents who previously installed solar will keep receiving incentive payments through Chelan PUD based on the rate they received in June 2016, and can continue until 2020, when incentives are scheduled to run out.
• Responsibility on the state level for overseeing the program has transferred to Washington State University’s energy office.

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Federal tax credits for Solar Energy Systems are available at 30% through December 31, 2019. The credit decreases to 26% for tax year 2020; drops to 22% for tax year 2021 then expires December 31, 2021. Updated information is available on the Energy Star website.

A general recommendation for grid-tied customers is to set up a system that will earn about as much in incentives annually as you pay for electricity. A solar calculator is available at https://www.solar-estimate.org

The annual production incentive can be estimated by multiplying the system rating times the number of full sun hours of the area where the solar system will be installed. Eastern Washington receives about 1,200 full sun hours per year. The average cost of solar panels for homes in Washington as at May, 2019 is $2.95 per watt. This means that for a 5 kW residential solar system the cost is $14,750 before solar incentives and $10,325 after claiming back the solar tax credit. More information is available at https://www.solar-estimate.org.

The maximum SNAP project that may be interconnected with the distribution system is 25 kilowatts. See the Interconnection Standards for Customer-Owned Generating Facilities 25 kW or Less for details.

An application/connection fee of $100 is charged at the time of application. Customers who wish to be net-metered are charged a fee of $305. The monthly meter-reading fee is $3.85. In most cases, the meter fee is deducted from the annual payment mailed to SNAP producers. Customers are responsible for the cost of connecting their SNAP generator to Chelan County PUD’s distribution system. Line extension fees, if any, will vary depending on the distance to the nearest PUD facilities.

SNAP producers must obtain an electrical permit from the City of Wenatchee (if within city limits) or the state Department of Labor and Industries. The city or county building and planning departments may also require a building permit. Call the appropriate jurisdiction to discuss your project.

A net metering program is available to PUD customers who have an electric generator that has a nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts. Customers must sign a Power Purchase and Interconnection Agreement with the PUD allowing them to interconnect to and operate in parallel with the PUD electric distribution system. The PUD’s charges for electric energy are adjusted for customers who participate in the net metering program.