Op-Ed: California Agencies Hold En Banc on Retail and Customer Electricity Choice
By the end of this year, as much as 25% of the retail load served by the investor-owned utilities (IOU) will obtain their electric generation service from an entity other than an IOU. California held a meeting to address the changing face of electricity generation.
Case study: Future utility planning must account for consumers’ thirst for distributed energy
A new case study from the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and Black & Veatch details how the Sacramento Municipal Utility District created an integrated plan to accommodate its ratepayers’ shifting priorities.
SEIA, Vote Solar aim to unify state-level solar advocates
The two groups have produced a free paper, Principles for the Evolution of Net Energy Metering and Rate Design, that they hope will provide a set of principles that can guide strategies for the fights ahead in the states.
Congressmen trumpet support for Suniva’s trade petition (Read the full letter here)
In a move that surprises no one, the Congressmen representing the two districts in which Suniva manufactured its modules have filed letters with the U.S. International Trade Commission supporting the bankrupt manufacturer’s efforts to earn protection from its Asian competitors.
NV Energy: Nevada net metering could cost $1.3 billion
The ongoing discussion in the Nevada legislature over a proposed modification of net metering in the state last week included a $1.3 billion estimate of the cost over 20 years from NV Energy.
Study: New York’s residential installations drop 25% in the first quarter (with charts)
Disappearing incentives, high early-adopter penetration and slower acquisitions by national companies are the primary factors in the rapid decline.
California prepares solar users for August solar eclipse
To reduce the strain on the electrical grid when the moon obscures the sun on Aug. 21, the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) President Michael Picker urged the state’s citizens to shave 3.5 GW off the grid between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on that day.
Tesla moves one step closer to Solar Roof deployment
Underwriters Laboratories certified the product last week, which should allow Elon Musk to keep his promise to roll the product out this summer.
OPIC under investigation for loans to Chilean solar projects
An internal U.S. government watchdog is looking at the loans which kick-started large-scale solar in Chile, after at least three of five solar projects have made moves to restructure these loans.
United States informs WTO of trade petition investigation (ITC notification embedded)
The U.S. International Trade Commission has informed the WTO that it is moving forward with its investigation into whether Suniva and SolarWorld deserve “global safeguard” protection from their competitors.
