Democratic Energy Media Roundup – week of July 27, 2015

Date: 30 Jul 2015 | posted in: Energy | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

This week in Democratic Energy:

  • Activists rally against Massachusetts Net Metering caps
  • New York’s energy vision inspires others
  • Minnesota city puts solar on the map

Featured Stories

Questions to ponder as the future electric grid takes shape by Quentin Karpilow, Green Biz

You can read ILSR’s submission here!

 

Regulations putting a limit on solar projects in Massachusetts by Jennifer Pagliel, WWLP News

“Communities in the Pioneer Valley are eager to go solar but the net metering caps are holding them back, our state leaders should act quickly to keep solar growing,” Hellerstein said.

As a result of the cap, many businesses, local governments, and nonprofits that hoped to install solar panels are no longer able to do so.

Last year, Massachusetts was fourth in the nation for the amount of solar energy installed. The state could get up to 20% of its electricity from solar by 2025, if the caps are raised.

New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision could be ‘valuable lesson’ for rest of world by Andy Colthorpe, PV-Tech Storage

Democratic Energy Across the Nation

 

Colorado

Battle of solar pits rooftop against utility-scale systems by Mark Jaffe, The Denver Post

 

Florida

Prepare for power struggle over solar by The News Press

 

Hawaii

Others interested in partnering with Hawaii if NextEra deal falls through, Ige says by Duane Shimogawa, Pacific Business News

 

Iowa

Is charging extra for solar hook-up discriminatory? by Lee Rood, The Des Moines Register

“We’re very concerned about this situation,” said Josh Mandelbaum, a staff attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Des Moines. “We are hoping to get engaged in some capacity. We think it clearly violates Iowa law that prohibits discrimination against customers based on their choice to use renewable energy.”

Solar panel provides cost savings, learning advantage for WITCC’s Sioux City campus by Greg Forbes, Sioux City Journal

 

Massachusetts

Political logjam stalls solar energy projects across Massachusetts by Steve Urbon, South Coast Today

Solar net metering caps ‘keeping us in the dark’ by Scott Stafford, The Berkshire Eagle

Rally at Lowell City Hall calls for state to raise limit for net-metering credits by Hiroko Sato, The Lowell Sun

 

Minnesota

Giant solar project in Paynesville, Minn., produces frustration — no juice by David Shaffer, The Star Tribune

“We have heard many problems about the utilities’ significant delays and lack of cooperation in connecting solar projects to the grid,” Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman said in a statement e-mailed to the Star Tribune. “ … Minnesota has made a commitment to solar development as an important state priority for our economy, energy future and environment. Unnecessary delays must not hinder our state’s progress in solar development.”

Solar advocates have long accused the utility industry of resisting customer-generated solar power with fees, restrictive policies and delays. But Xcel insists that’s not what has happened with the solar array in Paynesville

Small Minnesota city going solar in a big way by John Croman, KARE 11-TV

Minnesota program helps expand solar and renewables to rural areas by Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News

 

Montana

Removing barriers for solar energy will help working people by Wade Sikorski, The Billings Gazette

 

Nevada

Limiting rooftop solar stifles Nevadans by Arturo Carmona, The Las Vegas Sun

Rooftop solar power is a growing success story in Nevada: creating jobs and economic opportunity, lowering utility bills and democratizing our energy system one roof at a time. It’s so popular, in fact, that Nevada will bump up against an arbitrary cap on rooftop solar as early as August. That would stop solar growth in its tracks, leaving 6,000 jobs in the balance. As a national Hispanic organization representing thousands of politically engaged Nevadans, Presente.org sees this looming cap as an opportunity for our state’s leaders to stand up for our clean energy future.

 

New York

 

Seneca Nation awarded $100K grant for a microgrid project by Christa Nianiatus, Olean Times Herald

State initiative promotes shares in renewable energy for low-income New Yorkers by Brian Molongoski, The Watertown Daily Times

 

Ohio

Solar power pitch spurs city to consider energy source by Chad Klimack, The Newark Advocate

Solarize Cleveland offers deep discounts on home solar power for all Ohioans (photos) by John Funk, Cleveland.com

Before the launch of Solarize Cleveland, it was difficult to figure what installer to call, and it was always too expensive, as much as $30,000 for a system of this size less than a decade ago.

Their cost today through this program was $15,000 after steep discounts on the equipment and a 30 percent IRS tax credit, said the couple.  They were also offered low-interest loans.

That’s still pricy and certainly a lot more expensive than most decks, but it’s a price that allows more families to seriously consider home solar.

Texas

Solar technology could give consumers the power to get off the grid by James Osborne, The Dallas Morning News

Solar panels, for a long time so grossly expensive only hard-core environmentalists would buy them, are now being mass-produced in China. With government incentives, solar power can now compete with the power grid in 10 states, according to analysis by NRG.

 

Washington D.C.

The Uphill Battle to Get Solar Into D.C.’s Low-Income Households by Brentin Mock, The Atlantic

 

General

The Electric Utility Business Model Is Under Increasing Pressure by Seeking Alpha

Financing Community Microgrids: An Excerpt from Our New Community Microgrid Guide by Elisa Wood, Energy Efficient Markets

The Potential for Solar to Power Low-Income, Minority Communities by Marvin Smith, CleanEnergy.org

5 Reasons the Price of Utility Solar is Higher than Reported by Annika Tostengard, The Green Optimistic

 

Facebooktwitterredditmail