Clean energy requires metals and minerals: Can the U.S. compete?
More mining capacity will be needed to meet demand for metals and minerals for clean energy resources, and the U.S. is behind in the race, says a university researcher.
US legal community offers cities aid on solar, renewable transition
Lawyers for Good Government: “To meet their renewable energy goals, municipalities need to know state energy, municipal and land use laws as well as existing local policies.”
Energy storage roundup: Kore’s 110 kw-hr rack, KiloVault’s 7.5 kW-hr wall-mount, NeoVolta’s 24 kw-hr battery system
Falling battery costs, shifting utility strategies and new PUC policies are drawing fresh entrants and incumbents into an invigorated energy storage sector.
Idaho regulators rule that net metering rates belong to the system, not the customer
Idaho regulators have amended an earlier ruling, now stating that the legacy rate given to customers who installed residential solar systems before December 20, 2019 applies to the system, not the customer.
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.
