On May 1, 2008, Governor Ted Strickland enacted S.B. 221, a comprehensive energy bill which includes some provisions which encourage the use of distributed generation and the facilitation of net metering. Highlights: systems eligible for net metering must be sized to meet the customer’s typical load and can include solar, wind, ... Read More
On May 8, 2008, Governor Bob Riley enacted a bill (H.B. 234) called the Alternative and Renewable Energy Act. This bill would permit small distributed generators up to 100 kW to interconnect to a utility, but receive no more than the utility’s avoided cost for power fed back to the grid.
On April 24, 2008, ... Read More
On April 30, 2008, a bill (HB 7135) was sent to Governor Charlie Crist which requires each utility, including coops and munis, to develop a standardized interconnection and net metering program for customer-owned renewable generation by July 1, 2009. (The PSC has already established the rules necessary to administer this legislation, as described below.) ... Read More
On May 13, 2008, Governor Mark Sanford signed a joint legislative resolution (H.B. 3395 / S.B. 684 / R.247) regarding net metering. This resolution requires the Public Service Commission staff and the State Energy Office to draft a report for the legislature by January 1, 2009 regarding the establishment of net metering programs at ... Read More
In response to legislation (L.D. 2149) enacted in April 2008 (see below), the Maine Public Utilities Commission has opened two inquiries regarding small distributed generator interconnection and net billing. The state’s interconnection standards will be studied in Docket 2008-186, opened April 23, 2008. Public commentary will be accepted in this docket until May ... Read More
SolarCity is a California-based solar installer which offers residential consumers an affordable way to install home solar panels. SolarCity’s one-stop shopping offers consumers: a customized, right-sized solar system; installation and maintenance; financing through partner Morgan Stanley; and, low monthly payments. SolarCity owns the solar panels and takes advantage of the ... Read More
On April 29, 2008, a company called Sunrgi announced at the National Energy Marketers Association annual conference that they have a new technology called Extreme Concentrated Photovoltaics which will soon be able to produce electricity at a wholesale cost of 5 cents/kWh. Sunrgi co-founder Robert Block said that the Sunrgi system ... Read More
On May 15, 2008, the California Public Utilities Commission approved one of the largest wind power contracts in the United States. The contract is between Southern California Edison (SCE) and Alta Wind Power Development. Alta will develop this project in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area in stages—beginning with 250 MW in 2010 and ... Read More
As gasoline prices skyrocket, the pressure is on to find another way to fuel our cars. On July 13, 2008, the starting gun will fire in the 2008 North American Solar Challenge—a cross-country car race reminiscent of those held in the early 1900’s, when cars themselves were cutting-edge technology. This time, however, the ... Read More
In late April 2008, eSolar, a producer of scalable solar thermal power plants located in Pasadena, California, announced that it has received $130 million in investor funding for the construction and deployment of pre-fabricated, utility-scale power plants (e.g., 33 MW or larger). The modular design of this product enables it to be rapidly constructed ... Read More
Copyright © 1998 - 2010 Interstate Renewable Energy Council
RSS