Solar power policy update May 3: Minneapolis, SC, MO, CT
In this week’s solar policy update, we bring you Minneapolis’ plan to go 100% renewable, a potential net metering cap increase in South Carolina, legislation to weaken regulatory oversight in Missouri, and more.
100 hours and longer: ARPA-E seeks 5¢/kWh energy storage
The U.S. government’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy is offering up to $30 million in funding to build innovative technologies to enable long-duration energy storage, with the aim to provide reliable electricity from 10 to roughly 100 hours, and longer.
SEIA funds Republican candidates at 2x rate versus Democrats
A new analysis by Reuters finds that the solar industry trade group provided $56,500 to Republican candidates in the most recent election cycle, versus $26,700 to Democrats
Solar panel imports down 50% in the first two months of 2018
The EIA’s monthly solar module import report shows that after a ramp up in in mid-2017, volumes of imported PV modules crashed in January and February.
Solar power tax incentives fall almost 50% as installations increase 300%
An analysis by the Department of Energy shows electricity generation from solar growing 32% annually since 2000. Meanwhile, the tax benefits claimed for solar fell from just over $2 billion in 2013 to just over $1 billion in 2016.
Community solar capacity more than doubles in 2017
387 MW of community solar projects were installed in the United States last year. This brings the cumulative total to 734 MW, with the majority in Minnesota and Massachusetts.
In a loss for clean energy, Michigan OKs a new gas plant
Michigan regulators’ approval of DTE Energy’s plans for a new gas plant comes only days after the state body gutted net metering.
Some sunbelt states are sunny side down on rooftop solar
A new report sheds light on primarily states, primarily in the sunbelt, that dampen (or drown) rooftop solar through bad policies, or none at all.
Bill to increase system sizes for net metering advances in New Hampshire
The bill to allow PV systems up to 5 MW in capacity to participate in net metering has been reported out of committee and will now go to a vote of the full House, it’s last stop before the desk of Governor Sununu.
FirstEnergy’s 202(c) request is a bigger deal than you think
In this op-ed, Environmental Defense Fund’s Dick Munson explains how FirstEnergy’s federal bailout request poses a serious threat to competitive, clean energy, and why FirstEnergy’s attempts to block the sun and stop the wind present an existential threat.
