SOLAR POWER
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation on March 21 that makes changes to the net energy metering program for customers of electric cooperatives. The bill allows cooperatives to raise the net metering cap to seven percent of the system peak, with an increase allocated among residential, nonresidential, and not-for-profit and non-jurisdictional customers. (HB 2547) The legislation increases…...
Fossil-fuel rich New Mexico may be among the more unlikely states to join the 100-percent-clean-energy club, but it did just that in March, in the strongest sign yet of the momentum building for pro-renewable policies across the U.S. New Mexico's Democrat-led House charted a course for the state to obtain all of its power from carbon-free resources by 2045, with intermediate goals of 50 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2040, following passage of the Energy Transition Act.
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation on March 18 creating a pilot program to disburse loans or rebates for solar installations in households whose income is at or below 80 percent of the state or regional median income. (HB 2741) Residents applying for the program are required to document the installation of energy efficiency services…...
Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation on March 14 that would redefine net metering by requiring state regulators to set the compensation rate for solar customers through a ratemaking process. Retail electric suppliers would be entitled to implement rates to recover the costs incurred to serve customer-generators, including fixed and demand-based charges. (SB 100) The bill would…...
Democratic Senator Chris Brooks introduced legislation on March 18 that would raise Nevada’s renewable portfolio standard to 50 percent by 2030 from the current level of 25 percent by 2025. The bill would also set a goal of achieving all of the state’s electricity from carbon-free resources by 2050. The legislation adds to the number…...
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…...
The Retail Energy Supply Association expressed support for a market-determined price for solar renewable energy certificates, or SRECs, in New Jersey’s successor program, as the state transitions to a new distributed solar regime. In its comments filed with the the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on March 5, the group said that the alternative…...
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…...
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.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will consider changes to the solar renewable portfolio standard at its Feb. 27 meeting. The board issued a straw proposal last December to phase out the current Solar Renewable Energy Certificate, or SREC, Program following legislation enacted in May 2018, which closes the program when 5.1 percent of…...
The Oregon Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 19 opened a proceeding to examine the implementation of the federal Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act, or PURPA, which requires utilities to purchase power from small independent electricity generators at the “avoided cost” or the cost the utility would spend to procure the electricity itself. The move stems…...
Wisconsin Power and Light Company is seeking approval of three new tariff options to expand its voluntary renewable energy options for customers, according to its Feb. 18 application filed with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. The proposal includes a subscription-based community solar program, renewable energy contracts targeted at large commercial and industrial customers, and a…...