June Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

WHAT’S NEW AS OF JUNE 2013?

Note from the Editor

Integrated Distribution Planning: A path to sustaining growth

For years, the cumulative amount of distributed generation (DG) on the grid was akin to a drop of water in a glass.  That is, a tiny drop in a big glass.  But look how far we’ve come in the past few years. Last year the U.S. installed more than 90,000 photovoltaic installations, with a total capacity of 3.3 GW. This represents an 80% increase over installations completed in 2011. If we were to sustain this growth rate, we could expect to see close to 20 GW of solar installed in 2015.

This is great news for distributed generation industries, but how do we plan for that kind of growth? In highly active DG states, we are already seeing stalled DG development, as distribution circuits surpass the ubiquitous 15% penetration level that serves as a review checkpoint in most state interconnection procedures. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for developers to find circuits with available capacity to host additional DG.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States        

New York authorizes additional funds for customer-sited renewable energy programs

Mid-Atlantic States    

New Jersey BPU approves plan to develop 45 MW of grid-connected solar

Midwestern States     

Minnesota enacts extensive renewable energy bill including net meteirng updates

Southern States        

Georgia PSC approves plan to solicit 60 MW of solar development

Western States           

Arizona study finds overwhelming benefit from DG systems to ratepayers

California ramps up energy storage mandates

Colorado increases Renewable Energy Standard for cooperatives

Idaho PSC agrees to small expansion of net metering capacity but also to harmful interconnection fees

Other States                

Hawaii PUC issues decisions in rate decoupling to encourage investment in renewables and efficiency

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

New Solar Guide Could Tap 3.3GW Potential Of HOA Communities

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  June 2013 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). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Passera

Laurel Passera

Laurel is a Senior Renewables Analyst for IREC attorneys Keyes, Fox & Wiedman, and engages in research and analysis of net metering and interconnection regulatory trends to support IREC’s outreach and communication efforts. In 2009, Laurel was a Southeast Regional Network fellow for the Southeast Environmental Leadership Program and currently sits on Raleigh City Council’s Environmental Advisory Board.