SEIA Solar Blog

Colorado Settlement Demonstrates the Benefits of Collaboration

The Solar Industry Thanks Veterans Nationwide

This Veterans Day, the solar industry wants to express our sincere gratitude to those who have served and are serving in our nation’s military. The sacrifices that these men and women make for our country give us the freedoms and ability to build and grow prosperous industries like the 200,000+ strong solar industry.

SEIA On the Road to Fight Amendment 1

Bay State Seeking Another 1,600 MW of Solar With New Incentive Program

On Oct. 28th, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), headed by Commissioner Judith Judson, accepted initial comments on the Baker Administration’s proposal for a new solar incentive program in the Bay State.While their proposal was rolled out publicly with some fanfare on Sept. 23, and got some press coverage, the size of this new initiative has received relatively little attention.

New Recommended Solar Order a Raw Deal for Arizona

On Friday, Arizona released a Recommended Order and Opinion that would end net metering as we know it in the state and give a raw deal to Arizonans. The proposal is particularly astonishing because Arizona has the greatest solar intensity in the nation.

Former Vice President Al Gore: Vote NO on Florida Amendment 1

Former Vice President Al Gore spoke in Florida at a rally for Hillary Clinton this week, where he specifically urged Floridians to vote NO on Amendment 1, which would kill rooftop solar in the Sunshine State to the benefit of entrenched utilities. View the video of the speech above, or see below for the transcript, edited for length (emphasis is ours):

Massachusetts Blocks National Grid’s Untested Rate Design Plans

A big win for solar in Massachusetts! The Bay State’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued an order that prevents the utility National Grid from hitting homeowners with exorbitantly high fees, which would have damaged prospects for solar in this burgeoning clean energy state.Working with our regional partner, the Northeast Clean Energy Council, and other aligned parties including our friends at Vote Solar, the Energy Freedom Coalition, and the Acadia Center, we successfully blocked several potentially harmful rate design proposals advanced by National Grid.

Solar Continues Seeing Strong Bipartisan Support

The Pew Research Center released a survey this week titled The Politics of Climate, an overview of the stark political divides in a variety of climate issues and policies. Of the more notable sections in the survey was one that polled public support for increases in different forms of energy. Solar polled at 89 percent favorable among U.S. adults, higher than any other energy source, including wind, nuclear, natural gas, coal, etc.

Solar Experts Kick Off SPI 2016 To Discuss The Industry's Future

If last night’s Opening General Session taught us anything, it’s that there are two distinct paths forward for solar in America.In the first, we can continue viewing our growth as zero sum, where the future of distributed solar is purely at odds with utility-driven models of large-scale solar development. This path will ultimately please the traditional energy interests who would rather see us fight amongst ourselves than rise together to create a formidable industry.

A New SMI Report? Must Mean More Growth for the Solar Industry!

It seems like clockwork at this point. With each new Solar Market Insight report, the solar industry sees more historic growth, and this new report from GTM Research and SEIA is no different. The solar industry installed 2,051 megawatts of PV in Q2 2016, bringing the total nationwide capacity to 31.6 gigawatts (see Figure 1.1 below) and making this quarter the best non-quarter 4 ever for the industry. There is now enough solar installed to power more than 6.2 million U.S. homes and reduce carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons each year.