What were the top solar power stories of 2012? Here’s my list — chime in below if you think differently or have anything to add. 10. Giant US CSP power plants move along as planned, ready for completion in 2013. While we didn’t see any big CSP power plants … [continued]
Last week, the LA Times ran a horrible piece on solar power plants in California. There was a particular focus on the BrightSource Energy solar project known as Ivanpah. Herman Trabish of Greentech Media posted a good point-by-point response from BrightSource. The piece is called BrightSource Energy Versus LA … [continued]
With much of the US continuing to experience high heat and drought, distributed solar, and renewable power sources are helping alleviate the strains on electricity grids. Ongoing progress to integrate more clean, renewable energy into US power grids is threatened by utilities’ efforts to derail efforts such as California’s Net Metering program, however, according to Protect Net Metering. […]
Update 12:03 EST, July 13: here’s an important note/clarification from Michelle Kinman of Environment California: “The California Solar Initiative (CSI) is but one component of the state’s Go Solar California program, which seeks to expand the number of solar energy systems installed on existing homes in investor-owned utility territories, with a goal … [continued]
There’s a big net metering controversy/conflict in California at the moment, but a conclusion seems to be near. Susan just wrote on this a bit yesterday, and now we’ve got a wonderful, exclusive guest post from Ben Higgins, Director of Government Affairs, Mainstream Energy Corp./REC Solar/AEE Solar, to share with … [continued]
Below is a news release I received by email on an important California solar energy topic (and an important solar energy topic, in general). The news regards a important clarification of a net metering policy that would increase local solar energy savings and jobs considerably. For more details, read … [continued]
Yes, that’s right: grid parity is here, well in California at least…and a lot faster than most ever thought possible. The weighted average highest cost of solar and other renewable power contracts accepted by California utilities in the state’s Renewable Auction Market (RAM) auction amounted to 8.9 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 20-year power purchase contracts, the Vote Solar Initiative reported March 30. Though this doesn’t include transmission costs, $0.089/kWh is well below the average residential electricity cost of 15 cents per kWh in California in 2011, and that’s the weighted average highest cost of the accepted offers to the state’s electricity distributors.
In a decision that could have major implications for smart grid efforts around the country, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) yesterday ruled that utility customers could opt-out of smart meter installations.
California, as most of you know, has a renewable energy target of 33% by 2020, one of the best around. However, if current trends are any indication of where the state is headed, it could blow past that target. According to a state regulator speaking this week on the matter, California’s proposed solar projects in 2011 were a whopping 4.5 times what the state needs to meet its 33% target.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved five renewable energy projects yesterday that total 1,088 megawatts (MW) in capacity. 711 MW of that capacity is from solar PV power projects. The remaining 377 MW are from wind power projects. In total, annual generation of 2,927 gigawatt-hours (GWh). More details: Solar Power Plants “Southern … [continued]
