Godfrey Officials Weigh Promoting Solar Program

Village of Godfrey Board of Trustees

GODFREY – Godfrey may promote a program to offer guidance on solar installations to residents and small business owners.

Virginia Woulfe-Beile, chair of the Godfrey Sustainability Commission, asked Village Board members to consider joining the “Switch Together” group solar buy program at the board’s previous meeting on May 19, 2026. She emphasized the program’s focus on affordability and small-scale solar projects.

“Our nonprofit, the [Midwest Renewable] Energy Association, their goal is to make rooftop and ground-mount solar affordable and available for residents and small businesses,” Woulfe-Beile said. “We’re not talking about solar farms or anything like that – this is [for] grid-fed small solar projects.”

The program would run from June to October of 2026 to spread awareness and education for those interested in solar installations at their homes or small businesses. Woulfe-Beile said energy generated by solar installations under the program will be fed back into the grid, and participants will be credited on their power bills.

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Trustee Rick Lauschke said the village needs to offer resources to residents, especially the elderly, to ensure they aren’t taken advantage of and get the best possible deal for their solar needs. Woulfe-Beile agreed, saying the program aims to help with that issue and more.

“[The program] also vets the installers. Let’s face it, there are bad actors out there in the solar industry, so what MREA strives to do is find the best solar installers with the best records in the area,” Woulfe-Beile said. “There’s no cost to the village – they’re asking for us to be a promotional partner.”

Woulfe-Beile said no problems have been reported with the group solar buy program since it was first offered in 2016, noting the village has supported group solar buys on four prior occasions over the past 10 years.

At the board’s June 2, 2026 meeting, Trustee Gerard Fischer asked Village Attorney Bryan Dooling if the village runs any legal risk including its logo on material associated with the Switch Together program. Dooling said the risk of legal liability depends on the quality of solar companies involved, but wanted more information from Woulfe-Beile, who was not present at the June 2 meeting.

Village Board members gave the item a first reading, setting the stage for final consideration and approval at their June 16, 2026 meeting. Stay tuned to Riverbender.com for the latest coverage on these developments.

A full recording of the May 19, 2026 Godfrey Village Board meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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