This week in Democratic Energy:

• Solar advocates win big victories in Nevada and Colorado and keep net metering policies intact.
• Michigan solar energy fight garners unusual advocates for distributed generation.
• Clean Power Plan drawing criticism from utility-funded reports.
• Exellon-Pepco merger thwarted by grassroots efforts.

Featured Stories:

5 Reasons Utilities Are Hating On Their Solar-Producing Customers by John Farrell, Huffington Post [also published in CleanTechnica, Democratic Underground & Renewable Energy World]

The root cause of the battle between utilities and their (captive) customers is the utility monopoly. And the best hope for a democratic energy system may be to smash it.

Grassroots pressure has put a stop to the proposed Exelon-Pepco merger in DC by David Roberts, Vox

EPA Clean Power Plan Attacks Based on Flawed Reports by Gabe Eisner, The Huffington Post

Michigan tea party legislator pushing for more clean energy by Andy Balaskovtiz, MidWest Energy News

Net Metering Wins In Nevada & Colorado by Joshua S. Hill, CleanTechnica

“The hard work is now before the Commissioners to issue long-term rules” said Bryan Miller, co-chairman of The Alliance for Solar Choice. “We are grateful that the Commission’s decision will allow Nevadans to return to their jobs today, while the Commission determines long-term rules for solar net metering. Nevadans will remain vocal to ensure that these rules allow Nevada’s solar industry to continue creating jobs and driving economic growth.”

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission similarly voted to leave the state’s net metering policy unchanged, announcing to the world that it was a “fair outcome” for the state’s solar users, as well as the utilities and solar industry. Specifically, Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission Joshua Epel and Commissioner Pam Patton made it clear that there is no need to change the net metering policy for crediting residents who choose to be able to feed energy back into the grid.

Economies of scale: Why small solar is better than big solar by John Farrell, RenewEconomy

Democratic Energy Around the Nation:

California

Siemens, Blue Lake Rancheria, and Humboldt State University Partner to Install Low-Carbon Microgrid on Native American Reservation by Business Wire

Colorado

PUC ruling: No changes on net metering in Colorado by Shay Castle, Denver County Business New

Hawaii

Is variable pricing the way out of Hawaii’s solar wars? by Herman K. Trabish, Utility Dive

Kentucky

Solar campaign fuels interest in Louisville by James Bruggers, The Courier Journal

Massachusetts

Where is our Seabrook of solar? by Bill Baber, Foster Newsletter

Michigan

Michigan tea party legislator pushing for more clean energy by Andy Balaskovtiz, MidWest Energy News

Energy plan will make Mich.’s future brighter by State Representative Bill LaVoy, The Detroit News

Homeowners don’t like proposed changes to Michigan’s net metering program by David Cassleman, Michigan Radio

Minnesota

Developers pushing solar gardens for energy savings, but communities are wary by Jessi Van Berkel, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Xcel Energy taking heat for slow rollout of solar garden program in Minnesota by David Schaffer, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Nebraska

Backers of wind power, solar seek tax credits by Grant Schulte, The Journal Star

Nevada

The Nevada Ratepayer Advocate Proposes Keeping Existing Net Metering Rules by Bryan Miller, GreenTech Media

Reid calls for NV Energy to ‘get real’ about rooftop solar by Henry Brean, The Las Vegas Review Journal

NV Energy has proposed a new rate that The Alliance for Solar Choice says would end rooftop solar in Nevada and cost 6,000 jobs. The national advocacy group for the panel industry has proposed that the existing net-metering policy be extended through Dec. 31 when the PUC is required to finalize the new rate.

“This is the most extreme anti-solar proposal anywhere in the country,” said Bryan Miller, alliance member and vice president of public policy and power markets for the rooftop solar company Sunrun Inc. “It would completely eliminate the solar market.”

Miller said NV Energy admits in its filing with the PUC that under the proposed rules and rates the cost of installing a rooftop solar system would likely result in customers paying more for energy than those who do not install such systems.

Implications Of The Interim Net Metering Ruling In Nevada by Seeking Alpha

Popular rooftop-solar program gets green light to continue for now by Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review Journal

New York

Net-Zero energy community in Rotterdam opens by Andrew Murphy, ABC News 10

South Carolina

Santee Cooper’s solar power plan draws heat from opponents by David Wren, The Post & Courier

Vermont

A beautiful sight by The Times Argus

Virginia

At the ‘Tip of the Spear’ for Solar Energy in Virginia: Tony Smith by Jim Pierobon, The Energy Collective

Washington D.C.

Grassroots pressure has put a stop to the proposed Exelon-Pepco merger in DC by David Roberts, Vox

Nationwide Democratic Energy News

White House: Efficiency Key to Tackling Climate Change by Bobby Magill, Climate Central

Wind Power Wins Big Under the Clean Power Plan by Bentham Paulos, GreenTech Media

“We think wind will be a major compliance solution for many states and utilities,” said Rob Gramlich, senior vice president for government and public affairs for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), speaking at the National Clean Energy Summit 8.0 in Las Vegas.
“It is well suited as a carbon solution, because of its geography,” he explained. “There is cost-competitive wind in places that emit a lot of carbon, like central states in the MISO and SPP regions.”
The Midwestern wind belt has seen an explosion of wind power in recent years, with three states getting more than 20 percent of their power from wind.

President Obama unveils executive actions to drive distributed energy growth by Gavin Bade, Utility Dive

EPA Clean Power Plan Attacks Based on Flawed Reports by Gabe Eisner, The Huffington Post

Net Metering Wins In Nevada & Colorado by Joshua S. Hill, CleanTechnica

Conservatism hijacked for war on renewables by David Jenkins, The Hill

SolarCity wants to help utilities plan better for distributed resources by Herman K. Trabish, Utility Dive

Distributed Energy Generation Market Worth $179.65 Billion by 2020 by Grand View Research Inc., MarketWatch