2010年7月12日，蘭卡斯特市和太陽城組織宣布了將蘭卡斯特市變成太陽城的計劃。這項計劃將會是有史以來最為昂貴的太陽能社區計劃。該計劃也是國家首批政府和私人合作計劃之一，該舉措面向羚羊谷全體居民，同時也使商業或非商業組織能以更加可以接受的價格來使用太陽能源。這項計劃將在7月13日蘭特斯特市舉行的地方會議上進行討論，同時也將為其他城市運用新能源，增加綠色就業機會，減少能源依賴提供藍圖樣本。
通過頒發的太陽能證――太陽城組織提供的獎勵中的一項當地居民財政選擇，蘭卡斯特太陽城將允許當地居民以比常規電價更低的價格使用太陽能電力。而商業或者非商業組織也可以有權在不需要交付預付款的條件下選擇安裝太陽能，并且根據與政府當時簽訂的能源購買協議來每月支付其光伏系統產生的電能。蘭卡斯特市長R瑞克斯.派瑞斯將以當地居民客戶的身份第一個簽署居民協議。蘭卡斯特市的豐田公司將以第一個當地企業的身份簽署企業協議，并為豐田公司該市的新經銷商安裝632KWp的光伏系統。

City of Lancaster Announces Plans to Partner with SolarCity to
Launch Solar Lancaster
 
Unique Public/Private Partnership Will Create Affordable Solar Options for Local Businesses, Non-profits and
Homeowners
 
LANCASTER, Calif., July 12, 2010―The City of Lancaster and SolarCity(R) today announced plans for Solar
Lancaster, one of the most expansive solar community programs ever undertaken. The program, one of the
nation’s first combined public/private solar partnerships, has been created to offer all Antelope Valley
residents, businesses and non-profit organizations more affordable ways to adopt solar power. The program,
which will be considered at tomorrow’s Lancaster City Council meeting, will provide a blueprint for othercities
across the nation that want to use cleaner power, create green jobs and reduce dependence on polluting
power sources.
 
Solar Lancaster can allow area homeowners to pay less for solar power than they previously paid for
electricity via SolarLease(R), SolarCity’s award-winning residential financing option. Businesses and non-
profits will also have the option to install solar with no upfront cost, and pay only for the solar electricity their
solar arrays produce each month through a power purchase agreement. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris will
sign on as the first residential customer of the program. Sierra Toyota of Lancaster will be the first business
to install solar as part of the program, with a 632-kilowatt installation at its new dealership.
 
“I’m delighted we will be offering a program which will allow Antelope Valley residents, businesses and non-
profit organizations to go solar at an extremely affordable price,” said Mayor Parris. “As a City, we’re
dedicated to offering ways to help our community go green. We will all benefit from this program, which will
help reduce our carbon footprint while creating a number of new jobs in our community.

SolarCity has opened a local office in the Lancaster Business Park to facilitate the operation of the Solar
Lancaster program and create local jobs, and SolarCity plans to help create a local solar training program in
partnership with the University of Antelope Valley. Lancaster is also working with SolarCity to install 2.5
megawatts of new solar capacity across six different City sites including City Hall, Clear Channel Stadium and
the Lancaster Performing Arts Center.
 
“The City of Lancaster is demonstrating that individual communities can make a difference with programs
that make clean power more affordable than other power sources,” said Jim Cahill, SolarCity’s regional
director in Southern California. “Solar Lancaster will create a landmark opportunity for Antelope Valley
residents, businesses, schools and other non-profits to install renewable power at an affordable price.”
 
“Through programs like Solar Lancaster, we are taking full advantage of our renewable natural resources to
produce clean energy while also creating sustainable, well-paid jobs in a growing industry for our local
residents,” said Parris.