SEIA

COLORADO—Today the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) dismissed an appeal submitted by the Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA®) and the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) regarding Xcel Energy’s renewable energy compliance plan.  The appeal included two requested changes to Xcel’s 2012-2013 Compliance Plan that would have improved the business climate for Colorado solar businesses, which employ more than 6,000 people in the state.

The U.S. Solar Market Insight: Q1 2012, a report to be released tomorrow by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA®), finds that growth in solar photovoltaics (PV) markets in the U.S. is maintaining its breakneck pace from 2011.

Today, the California Public Utilities Commission passed on a vote of 5-0 a new rule regarding net metering, primarily to clarify calculation of the state’s five-percent net metering cap. Net metering allows customers to earn credit for excess solar electricity they produce that is distributed to other customers on the grid. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) worked with members and stakeholders as part of the Coalition for Solar Rights asking for CPUC review of the calculation of the cap that is expected to be reached as soon as early next year by some utilities.

Today, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed into law the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard for Solar Energy and Solar Water Heating Systems bill (Senate Bill 791 and House Bill 1187), which accelerates the target date for achieving the state's renewable portfolio standard two-percent solar carve-out by two years and ensures the industry maintains positive, year over year job growth.

The market that New Jersey officials set up to subsidize solar energy needs a rescue or there will be disastrous layoffs in the industry, business leaders, politicians and regulators say.

Univ. of Tennessee Baker Center study shows solar energy following similar growth path to mainstream usage as traditional energy sources, supported by smart federal policies similar to those that subsidize coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy.

SAN FRANCISCO - California solar energy advocates today praised a proposed decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that, if approved, will likely boost renewable energy use by homeowners, businesses, and commercial uses and lower energy costs for both solar and non-solar energy ratepayers.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association for the solar energy industry, announced today that it has officially merged with the Solar Alliance, an advocacy organization committed to establishing solar policies at the state level. Effective immediately, the Solar Alliance will operate under the SEIA brand in an effort to present a unified solar industry voice in all advocacy efforts at the state level. Carrie Cullen Hitt, president of the Solar Alliance, is now Vice President for State Affairs at SEIA, and the Solar Alliance team joins Hitt as part of SEIA’s new department for State Affairs.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA(R)) and the Maryland, DC and Virginia SEIA (MDV-SEIA) today announced a formalized partnership to coordinate the resources of both organizations and promote the growth of the region’s solar energy market.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA®) and the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) today announced a formalized partnership to coordinate the resources of both organizations and promote the growth of New York’s solar energy market.