Vote Solar offers SMART improvements
Amidst the looming presence of new changes to the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target, Vote Solar has analyzed the history of Massachusetts solar market and policy, offering tips to help the state recover from volatility and place itself once again as a national solar leader.
Warren climate plan 2.0: the details for clean energy
U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has announced that she is adopting former candidate Jay Inslee’s climate plan. But what does that mean?
Residential solar plus storage is taking over Hawaii’s grid
Sunrun’s solar+storage Brightbox systems – 1,000 of them totalling 4.3 MW of capacity – are included in a contract for grid services submitted to Hawaii regulators.
Electric company pushing electric school buses in Virginia, high speed car charging network in Iowa
Power utilities are continuing a nationwide push for vehicle electrification to grow flat since ~2007 electricity demand, with Dominion Energy now aiming for a 100% electric school bus replacement program, starting with 50 by the end of 2020 in Virginia, along with Mid American pushing for 15 high speed car charging locations across the Iowa utility’s service area.
San Diego Gas and Electric looks to quadruple customers’ minimum monthly bill
The utility is looking to raise its monthly minimum utility charge from $10 to $38 under the premise that distributed solar customers represent a “cost shift” to other utility customers.
Clean energy groups, allies call for overhaul of the transmission grid
18 organizations have come together to call on FERC to not only expand the nation’s transmission grid, but to change incentive and ownership structures to enable this. And while they did not say so explicitly in the comments, there are big potential benefits for wind + solar.
Delaware lifts rooftop solar restrictions
Gov. John Carney has signed HB 65, which lifts all restrictions on residential solar installations in the state. The bill looks to ease the installation process of a state with a volatile residential market.
North Carolina regulators reject the dirty assumptions in Duke’s latest plan
The state’s public utilities commission is saying that Duke must model potential retirement of coal plants, major reductions in CO2 emissions, and integration of battery storage in its post-2020 plans.
Georgetown solar project denied permits
A 32.5 MW solar farm set to serve Georgetown University has been denied over concerns that the clear-cutting associated with the project would harm local waterways.
Indiana gas plant spurned – wind, solar and storage respond
Vectren’s 2016 proposal to replace coal with a gas plant was declined as too large and financially risky for the small utility, requiring a new bid – which recently came in showing wind, solar and storage dominating the list of offers.
