Pro-renewable co-ops must propose how to figure a fair fee to exit Tri-State
To stop buying wholesale power from coal-heavy Tri-State, two co-op utilities in Colorado must first advise state regulators on setting a fair fee to exit their Tri-State contracts. A renewables-friendly wholesale competitor waits in the wings.
Fair compensation for rooftop PV generation: lawyers make the case
The Tennessee Valley Authority will offer just over 2 cents per kWh for distributed solar, although TVA’s prior calculations show a value of 7.2 cents per kWh, or higher when counting avoided pollution. An environmental lawsuit may be brewing.
Montana maintains net metering (for now)
In the first general rate case in 10 years, Montana regulators have rejected NorthWestern Energy’s proposal to change the way net metering customers would be charged. Would these charges have been as catastrophic as they seem?
Changing climate, changing laws: addressing new wildfire risk requirements in project development
in this op-ed for pv magazine, David Lazerwitz and Linda Sobczynski of Farella Braun + Martel examine the levels of precaution necessary to ensure fire risk mitigation in project development.
California home solar mandate tightened, community solar definition needed
The California Energy Commission has delayed a decision on a utility proposal to use large-scale solar to meet pending solar home mandate requirements, with commissioner comments suggesting a refinement of the community solar aspect of the mandate is coming.
Montana utility wants gas units; Sierra Club suspects biased modeling
In developing its resource plan, NorthWestern Energy apparently used modeling assumptions that favor gas-fired generation, says the Sierra Club. The group has filed a legal motion requesting access to the modeling inputs, and to the model itself.
PG&E, but run by the people
California Governor Gavin Newsom, in expressing his dissatisfaction with PG&E, has proposed that it is not out of the question that the state could intervene in the restructuring of the utility. But what would this kind of government intervention look like and what would it mean for solar?
Sacramento utility proposes eschewing rooftop mandate with community solar
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District has created a proposal which would allow homeowners to opt-into community solar programs in lieu of installing systems on their roofs.
Utility barriers to rooftop solar in Georgia
In this op-ed for pv magazine, Cesar Prieto and Seth Gunning of Creative Solar USA explore the barriers to rooftop solar put up by utilities in Georgia, a state with top-15 solar capacity, but a lagging residential market.
Lake Olympia solar co-op selects Sunfinity, more renewables do not lead to more air pollution: pvMB 11/4/19
Hello one and all and thank you for starting your workweek with the pvMB. Today we’ve got TVA contract drawbacks outweighing benefits for Knoxville, a Delaware solar farm expansion, the Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee calling out utility obstruction to rooftop solar and more!
