The first citizen owned solar cooperative in the state of Washington - Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative - was formed in Edmonds in 2011. That alone would be an achievement; however, this effort, spearheaded by community non-profit Sustainable Edmonds, is an extensive collaboration between the city of Edmonds, Seattle-based Tangerine Power and the residents of Washington State.
The innovative plan entails Tangerine Power installing a solar energy system on the roof of a city-owned community center which will then be owned by the community cooperative. In essence, the city provides the space for the solar array and agrees to purchase the power generated, Tangerine Power builds and maintains the array and organizes selling ownership shares for the cooperative, and the residents of Edmonds or any other locality in the state of Washington own the panels and supply the capital needed for this project by becoming members of this community co-op.