Monopolies in Michigan fear solar, deliver some of nation’s most expensive electricity
An analysis by Michigan Technological University shows how Michigan utilities use political influence to push back against distributed solar generation, leading to some of the nation’s highest electricity rates in the Upper Peninsula.
Michigan regulators pump the brakes on DTE’s plans to increase customer charges (again)
The utility keeps trying to kill distributed solar, one way or another, and regulators just keep rebuffing them.
Fossils going hard after solar in Spotsylvania
Large scale solar power development is under attack by fossil fuel interests, with the Spotsylvania, Virginia project by sPower being focused on by right wing news websites and “think tanks”.
Solar for low-income of all shapes and sizes
The Low Income Energy Issues Forum has released a new report focused on improving the availability and benefits of community solar for financially-limited customers. The working group identified five different models that can be used to join different ways to best open community solar to customers of all incomes.
North Carolina groups call for end to utility monopoly, 100% renewable energy
Their petition calls on elected officials to transition the state to 100% renewables; end Duke Energy’s monopoly on generation; refuse to accept campaign contributions from the utility; and appoint citizen-oriented utility commissioners.
TVA announces future generation planning by cancelling solar program
The Tennessee Valley Authority is moving to the next stage of its 2019 Integrated Resource Plan, and concurrently announced the cancellation of the Green Power Providers program as of January 1, 2020.
Texas rules in favor of wind and solar
Texas regulators have ruled that any renewable generation source connected to the state’s HVAC grid does not have to account for marginal losses, as the market turbulence it would cause isn’t worth the benefit, and it would go against the original spirit of the project.
Getting solar to the other 329 GW of homeowners
PosiGen has raised $90 million from the Connecticut Green Bank for a credit facility to fund low- to moderate- income households, which represent 42% of residential buildings in the United States.
Killing coal in Colorado with solar+wind+storage by 2025
Per an analysis by Vibrant Clean Energy, it’ll take approximately 2.8 GW of solar power, 8 GW of wind and 765 MW / 3 GWh of energy storage to allow Colorado to shut down its 4 GW of coal by 2025, while also lowering electric rates by 5%.
Solar power asks what the definition of “need” is
Ohio regulators are reviewing AEP’s proposal to pass on the costs for building 900 MW of renewable energy to utility customers, on the basis of whether these new electricity generation resources are “needed” for Ohio.
