Originally published at ilsr.org. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has required that Xcel Energy, the largest electricity provider in Minnesota, conduct annual hosting capacity analysis reports since 2016. These reports identify where the grid can accommodate additional distributed generation capacity (including rooftop and community solar) and the results are displayed on … [continued]
A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance shows that America’s monopoly problem is bigger than you might think.
As coal plants retire and new renewable generation becomes more cost effective than existing gas-fired generation, electric generation capacity continues to grow. Total power generation capacity followed its upward trajectory in 2019. Although the year’s added generation capacity of 25.7 gigawatts is not the highest on record, in the last 15 years it is second only to 2018’s total of 34.7 gigawatts.
The first quarter of 2019 saw renewable resources claim a majority share of new power generation for the second quarter in a row and for eight of the past 12 quarters. This trend provides a hopeful outlook for the future of clean energy this year, thanks to steady growth from small-scale residential and commercial solar installations and wind power, in particular.
California state funding has created a harvest cornucopia of clean energy programs ranging from solar energy for low income housing to familiarization test drives of electric vehicles. But each state agency has its own set of rules about who can get funding, what kind of matched private funding may be necessary, and how to go about getting access to the funds.
The third quarter of 2018 saw notable reductions in the growth and total capacity of new natural gas and utility-scale solar nationwide, but continued growth in distributed solar and wind power.
As new power generation comes online, investments in renewable technologies consistently outpace those in fossil fuel development. Continued growth in both distributed and utility-scale solar has further solidified this trend in recent months.
The conventional wisdom in electricity generation is that scale matters. But this outdated notion rests on the assumption that electricity generators compete only in the wholesale market. California’s nearly 1 million solar roofs already producing power provide the factual counterpunch to this myth, but so does ample research on the economies of scale and the price of competition in the wind and solar markets.
Earlier this spring, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance released its 2018 Community Power State Scorecard, revealing the the best and worst states for local clean energy across the country.
Energy production from renewable sources continues to expand in the US at a rapid clip, thanks in no small part to the substantial growth of solar energy — and distributed solar in particular — in recent years. More states than ever are making solar a priority. But where have these gains been greatest, and what are the economic implications for residents from one state to the next?
