The Clean Energy Collective (one of the top community solar energy providers in the US), SunShare, and Community Energy have come to terms with Xcel Energy concerning the utility company’s community solar gardens program in Colorado. The new agreement between the companies and organizations will see “up to 60 megawatts … [continued]
Originally published on MinnPost. By Brian D. Stuart There has been heated controversy surrounding the community solar garden program Xcel Energy formally rolled out in December of last year. Solar energy is booming in Minnesota, but even Xcel was surprised by the number of program applications received – particularly the number … [continued]
Originally published on EV Obsession. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission recently went ahead and approved proposed EV-specific electricity rates (EV charging tariffs) for the state, becoming the first state to require investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to provide specific peak & off-peak rates for electric vehicle charging. (Note that, based on briefing … [continued]
Originally published in the ECOreport A telephone poll, carried out between August 21-24, found that 76% of Coloradans support net metering. 73% were opposed to the state’s largest utility, XCEL Energy, cutting the amount of credit it provides for customers who feed electricity into the grid. Yet according to Gabriel Romero, … [continued]
As with electric vehicle news, there’s simply too much big solar energy and energy efficiency news for CleanTechnica to cover it all. So I’m back to doing some news roundups so that I can at least share with all of you all of the big or interesting stories I see. Enjoy! … [continued]
Originally published on Into the Wind. By Peter Kelley Last month, AWEA released a report that comprehensively rebuts claims made by Exelon, the largest merchant owner of nuclear power plants in the country, that the renewable tax credit is significantly affecting its profit margins. Since then, a growing chorus of other nuclear … [continued]
Last week, hundreds of Coloradans gathered at the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to express their support for rooftop solar and net metering (and their opposition to Xcel’s proposals to undermine it). Solar proponents out-numbered supporters of Xcel by a ratio of 16 to one. Net metering is a policy that … [continued]
In December, Xcel Energy’s Frank Prager appeared on CPR’s Colorado Matters and spread blatant untruths about rooftop solar in Colorado. While Prager’s comments are a stark contrast to Xcel’s own carefully-cultivated brand image—after all, Xcel’s slogan is ‘responsible by nature’ – they align perfectly with utilities’ coordinated attacks on rooftop … [continued]
Xcel Energy, an active member of the corporate lobbying organization the American Legislative Exchange Council through 2010, quit ALEC in 2011 to avoid negative publicity. The ALEC business model allows corporate lobbyists to pay $7,000 to $25,000 per year to write draft legislation behind closed doors with state lawmakers. State lawmakers then take the … [continued]
Originally published on Reviving Gaia by Roy L. Hales The relationship between Colorado’s rooftop solar industry and the state’s principal investor owned utility, Xcel, seemed good in 2012. Xcel had reason to be proud of the solar topped schools, homes and libraries that it had partnered with local installers on … [continued]
