This week in Energy Democracy news:
We check in on the status of Nevada’s net metering legislation, Kansas City leads the U.S. in Electric Vehicle adoption, and the U.S. solar market remains on a strong upward trajectory.
Featured Stories:
Energy Democracy: Customer Control Over Renewable Energy — Episode 3 Of The Building Local Power Podcast by John Farrell, CleanTechnica
RePower Madison Challenges Old Electric Monopoly Model by John Farrell, CleanTechnica
An unconventional approach to grassroots organizing in Wisconsin’s capital city has in recent years tipped incumbent utility Madison Gas & Electric (MGE) toward policies that favor consumers and renewables, a distinct shift in a state held back for years by entrenched monopolies with outdated business plans.
Minnesota electric vehicle advocates question fairness of new annual fee by Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News
U.S. Solar Market Adds 2 Gigawatts of PV in Q1 2017 by Mike Munsell, Green Tech Media
Following rapid growth across the industry in 2016, the United States solar market added 2,044 megawatts of new capacity in the first quarter of 2017.
As installations grow, prices continue to fall to new lows, with utility-scale system prices dropping below the $1 per watt barrier for the first time, according to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) latest U.S. Solar Market Insight report.
Shift Toward Renewables Sparks Midlife Crisis For PURPA by Keith Goldberg, Law 360 [subscription required]
Energy Democracy News Across the States:
California
Community Microgrids Offer “Repeatable” Way to Replace Fossil Fuel Peakers in California by Elisa Wood, Microgrid Knowledge
New L.A. car-sharing service aims to serve low-income neighborhoods by Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times
The BlueLA Electric Car Sharing Program, announced by Mayor Eric Garcetti on Friday, will bring 100 electric cars and 200 electric vehicle charging stations to Westlake, Pico-Union, Koreatown, Echo Park and downtown Los Angeles starting this summer.
Illinois
Illinois utility’s microgrid first to ‘island’ nearby residential customers by David J. Unger, Midwest Energy News
New Illinois Law Boosts Renewable Energy Project by Bryan Cave LLP, lexology.com
Kansas
KC metro leads the nation in EV adoption by Dory Smith, Kansas City Business Journal
Maine
Rooftop solar bill advances, but Republican opposition foreshadows fight by Tux Turkel, Portland Press Herald
Rural Maine can’t wait for solar energy by Jason Tessier, Bangor Daily News
Massachusetts
Rabbi Calls Temple’s Solar Array an ‘Actualization Of Our Values’ by Joseph Bebon, Solar Industry Magazine
Michigan
Tesla suit could shine light on back-room lobbying at state Capitol by Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press
Tesla, which is suing the state in federal court in Grand Rapids, has subpoenaed records of communications between the Michigan Automobile Dealers Association, key state lawmakers, and Gov. Rick Snyder just prior to the passage of a 2014 law that bars manufacturers from selling directly to customers and requires them to sell through franchised dealerships.
Minnesota
Minnesota electric vehicle advocates question fairness of new annual fee by Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News
Nevada
Nevada net metering bill clears Assembly, heads to Senate by Robert Walton, Utility Dive
Nevada Legislature Passes Bill to Restore Net Metering for Rooftop Solar by Julia Pyper, Green Tech Media
The bill (AB 405) would reinstate net energy metering for residential solar projects, but at a discounted compensation rate.
AB 405 would immediately allow rooftop solar customers to be reimbursed for excess generation from a solar system at 95 percent of the retail electricity rate.
Roth: What happens in Vegas… by Jim Roth, The Journal Record
Ohio
Ohio’s economy: A test case for Trump’s climate decision by Peter Behr, E&E News
Texas
Younicos, Austin Energy, Doosan Team up on solar energy storage project by Editors of Electric Light&Power/POWERGRID International, Electric Light & Power
Wisconsin
Madison Area Technical College rooftop solar energy system would be largest in the state by Chris Aadland, Wisconsin State Journal
Nationwide Energy Democracy News:
There’s a New Way the U.S. is Committing to Paris by Brian Kahn, Climate Central
The U.S. Won’t Actually Leave the Paris Climate Deal Anytime Soon by Brad Plumer, The New York Times
Last week, President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. But it will take more than one speech to pull out: Under the rules of the deal, which the White House says it will follow, the earliest any country can leave is Nov. 4, 2020. That means the United States will remain a party to the accord for nearly all of Mr. Trump’s current term, and it could still try to influence the climate talks during that span.
U.S. Solar Market Adds 2 Gigawatts of PV in Q1 2017 by Mike Munsell, Green Tech Media
Solar, solar, everywhere, so bright it makes you blink by Tamera Minnick, The Daily Sentinel
Survey finds growing awareness of smart grid programs but still low participation by David J. Unger, Midwest Energy News
Nearly three-fourths of U.S. consumers have at least heard of smart meters and the smart grid, according to a longitudinal study published by the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC), an Atlanta-based nonprofit that does market research for industry stakeholders on energy consumers.
Shift Toward Renewables Sparks Midlife Crisis For PURPA by Keith Goldberg, Law 360
Saving lives and money: the potential of solar to replace coal by Allison Mills, Phys.org
Solar Power Has Finally Proven That It’s The Energy Source of the Future by Kaitlyn Wylde, futurism.com
This article originally posted at ilsr.org. For timely updates, follow John Farrell on Twitter or get the Energy Democracy weekly update.
