August 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter
WHAT’S NEW AS OF AUGUST 2010? Note from the Editor The Solar Panel Next Door Sharing solar (or wind, or micro-hydro, etc…) is the hottest new trend in net metering. It’s exciting to see so much progress within the last year alone, with more and more states jumping on the community renewables bandwagon. This month…
WHAT’S NEW AS OF AUGUST 2010?
Note from the Editor
The Solar Panel Next Door
Sharing solar (or wind, or micro-hydro, etc…) is the hottest new trend in net metering. It’s exciting to see so much progress within the last year alone, with more and more states jumping on the community renewables bandwagon. This month Delaware added its name to the list with the enactment of SB 267. These policies present numerous advantages but perhaps most significantly, they expand benefits of renewable energy to a much larger pool of participants. They also entail a lower cost of installation due to economies of scale and, with fewer constraints on system location, they can be sited more effectively to make better use of the resource. [Continued in Newsletter]
State News in Detail
Northeast States
Connecticut DPUC continuing meter aggregation work
New York PSC approves peak load provision for net metering, considers DG proposal for Massena
Mid-Atlantic States
Delaware enacts community net metering policy
New Jersey removes 2MW cap for net metering; township asks the BPU for virtual net metering ability
Midwestern States
Indiana utility proposes an expansion of net metering and a FIT
Michigan PSC approves pilot electric vehicle rate for Detroit Edison
Missouri PSC seeks comments on geographic sourcing of renewables
Kansas KCC adopts net metering rules
Southern States
Texas universities launch innovative clean energy programs
Western States
Arizona’s Salt River Project plans to sell PV power to schools
CAISO proposes changes to large generator interconnection agreement
Idaho PUC approves system size cap change for Avista utilities
Other States
Alaska enacts renewable energy goal
IREC News
IREC releases 2009 Solar Market Trends Report
Miscellaneous News
FERC reaffirms its position on Feed-in Tariffs
NREL publishes Comprehensive Feed-in Tariff Guide for Policymakers
Utility energy storage test yields positive results
Upcoming Events
Download the full newsletter as a PDF: August 2010 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter
FORMAT
While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) and the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University. Click here to subscribe.
Editor: Laurel Varnado
NC Solar Center, NC State University
