Midwest and Northern Tier states added 400 MW of small-scale solar in 2019
Solar contractors added far more small-scale solar in the 19-state area than in 2018, when they added 250 MW. Solar policy groups aim to improve opportunities for distributed solar in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Montana.
Idaho is stuck in residential solar limbo
In the wake of regulator’s rejection of Idaho Power’s proposal to decrease the net metering rate, customers looking to install PV in the near future are in limbo, with no indication of a new compensation rate in sight.
Net metering survives in Idaho
State regulators have overwhelmingly ruled to deny Idaho Power’s proposal to decrease the net metering rate for residential solar owners by 50%.
Idaho Power renews attacks on net metering
The utility has proposed to state regulators a measure to decrease the rate that solar owners receive for their excess solar generation by 50% under the argument that net metering has failed to properly recover the costs incurred to serve customers with on-site generation.
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.
Balancing solar development and preservation of agricultural lands in the Midwest
In this op-ed for pv magazine, Sara Bergan and Thomas Braun, attorneys at Stoel Rives LLP discuss the difficult balancing act of solar and agriculture in the emerging Midwestern market.
$37 for new solar in Vermont, BOfA to build 60 projects, module pricing stable – more!: pvMB 6/7/19
Put your car on cruise and lay back ’cause this is summertime, but Idaho Power is attacking net metering, while Fellowship Energy is winning a prize, Gillibrand is backing a carbon plan, and more!
One more state, two more utilities pledge 100% clean power
Yesterday Washington became the fourth state to mandate 100% carbon-free electricity, with promises to meet mandates early by Avista and PNM in New Mexico.
Idaho Power tries to shut down net metering (again)
The utility is dredging up the trope of the cost shift as it plans for 100% “clean” electricity – on its terms.
Boise to go 100% renewable, South Carolina students support solar freedom: pvMB for 4/4/19
Happy Thursday and welcome to the pvMB. Today we’ll be looking at SMUD joining the EIM (those words may mean nothing to you now but will soon), a new New Jersey brownfield project (not a Futurama joke), a new solar powered anti-theft backpack (with a built-in boombox model) and everything else you need to tackle the solar industry today.
