May 2013 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

WHAT’S NEW AS OF MAY 2013?

Note from the Editor

Interconnection: A Foundational Policy for Solar Market Expansion

Here at IREC, we work on the foundational issues that facilitate solar market growth.  These issues, such as interconnection procedures, net metering and permitting guidelines, may not be the latest “hot topics” but they are nonetheless crucial to a thriving solar market. It’s akin to renovating an old house – you can install granite countertops and new appliances but if you don’t maintain the foundation, people probably won’t want to move in.

To increase our impact on these foundational policies, IREC spends a lot of time researching best practices and forming them into model language that can be widely used and adopted. Policymakers can’t be experts in every subject, so models provide a much-needed roadmap to help them navigate and understand the complexities of solar policy, especially in such a technically dense subject as distributed generation (DG) interconnection.

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State News in Detail

Northeast States        

Maine Commission seeks comments on interconnection

Massachusetts seeks to reconcile net metering and interconnection conflict; Reaches solar milestone

Mid-Atlantic States    

Delaware and Maryland co-ops increase their solar footprint

Southern States         

San Antonio’s CPS energy delays changes to net metering program

Western States         

Arizona Commission considers expanding net metering discussion to state’s other utilities

Idaho Power seeks an end to annual cash payments for net excess generation

Other States                

Hawaii set to surpass 2015 solar goal

Federal government provides renewable energy support for Native communities in Alaska

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

FERC Chairman Calls for New Valuation Method for DG

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  May 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.