Customer-side solar has grown to provide over 4 gigawatts of electricity while grid-connected installations supply more than 1.5 gigawatts, from virtually no solar on the PJM grid a decade ago, according to an Aug. 22 report from the system operator. Solar generation represents a tiny fraction of the 180 gigawatts of capacity committed to serve…
The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors on Aug. 22 approved the utility’s integrated resource plan, which calls for a continued reduction in its carbon footprint partly through the addition of up to 14 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2038. The resource plan, unveiled in June, updates TVA’s 2015 IRP in response to continuing changes…
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Aug. 22 proposed a transition incentive program as part of its process to close the current Solar Renewable Energy Certificate, or SREC, program and design a successor mechanism. The proposal seeks to bridge the gap between the legacy and successor programs as the state phases out the…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission launched a proceeding to implement amendments to its net energy billing rule, following legislation enacted in June that broadened access to the program, including expanding the capacity of eligible facilities to 5 megawatts, up from the previous 660 kilowatts, according to an Aug. 21 notice. The law expands the customer…
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality on Aug. 16 unveiled a draft Clean Energy Plan outlining policy and action recommendations for the state to transition to carbon-free electricity by 2050, starting with a 60 to 70 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2030. An executive order issued last year by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper…
New York has adopted sweeping measures to propel the state’s clean energy agenda, including adopting the nation’s most ambitious climate targets, awarding the largest offshore wind contract, and refining compensation rules to boost distributed solar.
Democratic Governor Tony Evers on Aug. 16 signed an executive order requiring the state’s electricity consumption to be carbon-free by 2050. The order establishes the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, which will work with other state agencies and utilities to achieve the goal. The new office will develop a clean energy plan to help…
New York installed 884 megawatts of solar generating capacity through June 30, with an additional 970 megawatts in the pipeline under the NY Sun program, a $1 billion initiative to expand solar capacity through the strategic use of public funds to build a self-sustaining market, according to an Aug. 14 report from the New York…
The New York Public Service Commission staff on Aug. 13 recommended changes to the value stack compensation rule to clarify the eligibility criteria for certain high-capacity-factor resources, such as fuel cells, to prevent excessive cost shift to non-participating ratepayers. Utilities expressed concerns that the issue has become particularly relevant given the growing number of prospective…
The U.S. imported an average of 644,000 kilowatts per month of solar panels during the first four months of this year, up from less than 300,000 kilowatts in the months following the imposition of tariffs on imported solar in February 2018, according to an Aug. 13 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Continued decline…
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 12 granted Xcel Energy Inc.’s request to expand the utility’s Renewable*Connect pilot program, a green pricing option, into a permanent initiative. Xcel sought the expansion because the program, established in 2017, has been fully subscribed and there is additional customer demand. The unfulfilled demand for its two renewable…
Democratic Governor Kate Brown signed legislation on Aug. 9 that creates a program to provide rebates of up to $5,000 or 40 percent of the cost of installing a residential solar generating facility. The measure boosts the prospects of the state’s solar industry, which declined after state incentives through the Renewable Energy Tax Credit sunset…