This week in Democratic Energy:
Low-income residents of Colorado county get solar.
Hawaii island of Kauai hit renewable energy milestone.
The growing likelihood of consumerization of energy.
Featured Stories:
Bringing solar to low-income residents in La Plata County by Jonathan Romeo, Durango Herald
To lease or to own: simplified solar calculator by John Farrell, CleanTechnica
How does your state rate for clean energy? by PV Solar Report
Clean Power Plan: 50 ways to get more clean, local energy by John Farrell, CleanTechnica
Six months ago, the Obama administration released the Clean Power Plan, requiring substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions from the electricity sector. The Plan sets targets from the top down, but largely leaves the details to states, providing a significant opportunity to craft rules that encourage energy development and ownership from the bottom up.
The consumerization of energy is just beginning by Bennett Cohen, GreenTech Media
What intrigued us most was that the Powerwall is clearly conceived as a consumer product. While its sleek design and hyped launch felt totally natural to those accustomed to following Apple, it served as a wakeup call to the energy industry: energy is being consumerized.
Energy Democracy News in the States:
California
Solar rooftops can save Californian grid & residents $1.4 billion annually by Joshua J. Hill, CleanTechnica
California solar industry job growth reaches record levels by Ivan Penn, Los Angeles Times
Colorado
Bringing solar to low-income residents in La Plata County by Jonathan Romeo, Durango Herald
Florida
Altman tries to expand solar energy amid opposition from utilities, Consumers for Smart Solar by Isadora Rangel, TC Palm
Hawaii
Hawaiian Electric has 77,000 installed solar PV systems across Hawaii by Duane Shimogawa, Pacific Business Journal
Kauai hits renewable energy milestone by Chris Tanaka, Hawaii News Now
Hawaii bill demands NextEra prove consumer benefit for $4.3B Hawaiian Electric merger by Herman K. Trabish, Utility Dive
Many critics worry NextEra will rely heavily on utility-scale renewables to meet the state’s 100% renewable energy mandate by 2045, rather than supporting distributed generation that has become popular with residents looking for relief from the nation’s highest power prices. Recent numbers from U.S. Energy Information Administration show 89% of Hawaii’s solar is distributed generation.
Adding fuel to the debate, a recent Civil Beat poll showed more than half of Hawaii residents scattered across all demographics want the PUC to reject the deal, with two-thirds believing rates will actually rise in 10 years despite assurances to the contrary.
Illinois
Solar Urbana-Champaign nearing goal of solar power installations by WAND-TV
Maine
Solar net metering challenge in Maine by Glenn Meyers, CleanTechnica
Massachusetts
The state of solar in Melrose and beyond by Aaron Leibowitz, Wicked Local Melrose
Pols turn down the dimmer on solar by Brian Kopperl and Robert M. Knowles, Worcester Telegram
Gov. Baker unveils $15M solar, renewable energy plan by Todd Feathers, Lowell Sun
Northhampton City Council urges state legislators to eliminate solar net metering cap by Stephanie McFeeters, Northhampton Gazette
Mass. has more solar jobs than any other state except Calif. by Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe
Michigan
What about donating solar power to Michigan non-profits? by David Strenski, Michigan Public Radio
Performance standards can rein in electricity costs for 2016 ratepayers by Larry Ward, Bridge Michigan
Advances in technology have dramatically changed the market for renewables. A recent report by Lazard found that renewable energy, for the first time, is now cheaper than natural gas. What’s even better is that utilities are able to lock in 20- to 30-year contracts for affordable renewable energy, a price guarantee that’s simply unheard of when it comes to natural gas. We need the legislature to intervene because utilities don’t get the same guaranteed profits on renewable energy that they do when they build big, expensive power plants. Requiring them to purchase more low-cost renewable energy will mean finally putting ratepayers first.
As lawmakers rewrite Michigan’s energy policy this year, they must seize this opportunity to bring down costs for families and businesses by setting performance standards and holding utilities accountable.
Michigan corporations seek to break down obstacles to renewable energy by Andy Balaskovitz, Midwest Energy News
Minnesota
Minnesota’s solar workforce expected to grow by 20 percent by WCCO-TV
Minnesota vows to move ahead with clean power by Jim Spencer, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Nevada
Push made to prohibit utilities from retroactively penalizing solar customers by Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review Journal
Initiative proposes breaking up NV Energy monopoly by Sandra Chereb, Las Vegas Review Journal
The initiative states that any business, resident or entity “has the right to choose the provider of its electric utility service,” whether that be from a competitive retail electric market or by producing electricity for themselves or with others.
Will Nevada net metering vote cripple solar financing? by Allison Gatlin, Investor’s Business Daily
Rooftop solar employees make show of support for referendum by Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review Journal
Regulators hear arguments on grandfathering solar users by The Washington Times
Rooftop solar fight not losing energy by Heidi Kyser, KNPR
New York
NYC mayor wants to boost solar capacity five-fold by Jonathan Lemire, Albany Democrat-Herald
Driven by power outages and savings, towns look to microgrid by George M. Walsh, Associated Press
(Em)powering communities through energy democracy by the New School News
North Carolina
Charlotte-Mechlenburg schools & Durham public schools would conserve millions with solar by Cynthia Shahan, CleanTechnica
Ohio
County considers solar energy project by William Kincaid, The Daily Standard
Texas
How Austin Energy is looking to manage solar-plus-storage on its grid by Peter Maloney, Utility Dive
Vermont
Vermont experiences solar jobs boom by Mike Polhamus, Vermont Reformer
Virginia
Virginia lawmakers mull slew of clean energy, storage bills by Robert Walton, Utility Dive
Nationwide Energy Democracy News:
The Supreme Court’s decision on demand response is more complicated than you think by Varun Sivaram, GreenTech Media
What’s more, initiatives like Reforming the Energy Vision in New York or Distribution Resource Plans in California aim to create localized, distribution-level markets for energy services — including energy, capacity, ancillary services and more. These markets would enable an efficient, decentralized power system that could partially replace today’s centralized grid.
Such a system could avoid massive infrastructure build-outs to provide power more cheaply, improve reliability by spreading out the network, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by integrating cleaner sources of electricity. But these distribution-level markets may very well meet the court’s two-part test in FERC of directly affecting wholesale rates and indirectly affecting retail rates, triggering federal jurisdiction over state initiatives.
More utility microgrids and other predictions for utilities in 2016 by Microgrid Knowledge
By fighting rooftop solar, utilities are setting themselves up for worse to come by David Roberts, Vox
King-Reid amendment would protect against retroactive solar net metering changes by Joseph Bebon, Solar Industry Magazine
The consumerization of energy is just beginning by Bennett Cohen, GreenTech Media
What intrigued us most was that the Powerwall is clearly conceived as a consumer product. While its sleek design and hyped launch felt totally natural to those accustomed to following Apple, it served as a wakeup call to the energy industry: energy is being consumerized.
Calculator finds efficiency can meet much of Midwest states’ Clean Power Plan targets by Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News
Citizen wind power for a global energy transition? by Gero Reuter & Ruby Russell, Deutsche Welle
How smart cities are accelerating the energy transition by Eric Woods, Environmental Leader
GTM research: 20 US states at grid parity for residential solar by Mike Munsell, GreenTech Media
Why the “duck curve” created by solar power is a problem for utilities by David Roberts, Vox
