I don't know how many utilities have community solar arrays, but I finally got a picture of the one my local power co-op — San Miguel Power Association — installed in the usually sunny Paradox Valley:
The mountains in the background are the La Sal mountains near Moab, Utah (I was headed over to Arches National Park for camping and hiking). Although it looks like a fairly large installation in the picture, it is actually just a tiny speck in the huge Paradox Valley. This satellite picture is a small part of the valley:
Panels can be purchased by residents, businesses, and local governments for $705 to $745 each. They are expected to offset power bills by $45 a year, so payback is in the fifteen to sixteen year range. (The panels will produce more power than that but some of the revenue generated is used to maintain and replace the panels over fifty years.)
I might have gone this route if I didn't already have my own panels since it would have been cheaper. But I have to say that having my own panels, which I can adjust in angle as the seasons change, is a lot more fun. However, I am thinking of buying a panel in this community array and donating it to my local library.
My local utility is one of the few rural co-ops in this region that is strongly supportive of renewable energy; most are opposed or indifferent. Any other utilities that have solar farms that customers can buy into?