The Maine legislature passed a bill on March 15 that would reestablish net metering for consumers with solar installations, doing away with the previous administration’s gross metering policy. The legislation, introduced by State Representative Seth Berry, a Democrat, will likely be signed by fellow Democratic governor Janet Mills. Gross metering was developed by the Maine Public Utility Commission with…
Florida Power & Light Company submitted a petition with the Florida Public Service Commission for approval of a new voluntary community solar program, FPL SolarTogether, which allows customers to subscribe to a portion of new solar capacity built through the program and receive a credit for a portion of the system’s savings, according to a March 14…
The New York State Public Service Commission capped early termination fees for community distributed generation project members and mandated production guarantees for on-site mass-market solar projects as well as clear disclosure of escalation clauses in contracts between customers and developers, according to a March 14 press release. Termination fees for distributed generation projects will be capped at $200.…
Ameren Corporation published a report on March 11 called Building a Cleaner Energy Future, in which it sets out the company’s strategy for tackling climate risks and moving toward cleaner energy. The company wants to reduce carbon emissions by 35 percent by 2030, 50 percent by 2040 and an 80 percent reduction by 2050 from 2005 levels. Ameren expects…
Xcel Energy Inc. announced its Renewable Connect Program, which allows customers who subscribe to source up to 100 percent of their electricity from renewables like wind and solar, according to a March 11 press release. The program gives customers the flexibility to choose how much of their electricity should come from renewables and for how long, with subscription options…
The New Mexico House of Representatives passed the Energy Transition Act on Tuesday afternoon, which orders the state to source all of its power from carbon-free supplies by 2045. The bill passed the Democratic-controlled state legislature with 32-9 votes in the Senate and 43-22 in the House. Democratic governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham is expected to sign it into…
The U.S. added 31.3 gigawatts of generating capacity in 2018, the largest since the 2003 capacity addition of 48.8 gigawatts, according to a March 11 report from the Energy Information Administration. Natural gas accounted for 62 percent of utility-scale additions, while wind and solar photovoltaic represented 21 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Coal accounted for…...
A bill introduced by Senator Jacob Candelaria, a Democrat, which seeks to make New Mexico’s electricity generation 100 percent carbon-free by 2045 passed the eight-member Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee, with two Republican members voting against the measure. Known as the Energy Transition Act, it would require the state’s utilities to derive at least 50 percent…
Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers put forward a requirement to make the state’s electricity supply carbon-free by 2050, according to a March 7 proposal. During last year’s midterm elections, Evers made it clear that he was a proponent for shifting the state to 100 percent renewable energy by mid-century, but his political position is not as strong as some…
The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 26 approved terms for a 10-year contract for Three Rivers Solar Power LLC’s project, the winning proposal among seven bids submitted in response to the agency’s solicitation last July. The commission also directed its staff and Emera Inc. subsidiary Emera Maine to finalize a contract with the project…...
Democratic Governor Tim Walz announced a proposal that would require the state’s utilities to source all of their electricity from carbon-free resources by 2050, allowing them to set their own pace to meet the goal, according to a March 4 press release from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Under the plan, titled “One Minnesota Path…
Obstacles that have long thwarted the rapid growth of solar that sunny Texas has always promised -- the deregulated market and a dearth of renewable incentives -- are posing less of a hindrance in the face of cheap power purchase contracts. Texas, which leads the nation in wind-powered generation, accounting for more than a quarter of the U.S. total, is rapidly emerging as a solar power house. Falling costs, retirements of fossil-fueled generation, and demand growth have been instrumental in driving solar growth in the region.
