Advocates Celebrate Wins for Clean Energy in Georgia, Urge Action on Rooftop Solar
ATLANTA – In a victory for Georgia consumers and the clean energy economy, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to approve a solar resource plan that should result in an increase in Georgia Power’s solar energy procurement by 6 to 9 gigawatts through 2035 and add 500 megawatts of battery storage to the energy grid. When paired with solar, energy storage can keep the lights on reliably, even during extreme weather conditions and spikes in electricity demand.
Safer, Faster, Cheaper: How SolarAPP+ Is Cutting Through Bureaucracy to Boost Solar Deployment
A residential solar home in Denver, Colorado. More than half a million residential solar systems were installed in the United States in 2021, representing a 30% year-over-year uptick in installed solar capacity. This is great news for households looking to both stabilize and lower their energy costs, but for the thousands of local jurisdictions responsible for permitting and inspecting each and every system to ensure code compliance, this flood of new projects can quickly become a bureaucratic nightmare.
Florida Legislation Undercuts Rooftop Solar, Allows Monopoly Utilities to Charge Exorbitant Fees on Thousands of Floridians
WASHINGTON D.C. — The Florida Legislature passed a bill today (HB 741) that will undercut the state’s growing rooftop solar industry by phasing down net metering and allowing utilities to charge excessive fees on over 100,000 solar customers in the state. Under the legislation, utilities will be able to levy unlimited fees on solar customers by 2026, giving them a stronger monopoly hold over Floridians. Following is a statement from Will Giese, southeast regional director for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA):
Solar Permitting Tool Hits the Market to Boost Rooftop Solar Installations
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As America passes three million solar installations, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is formally launching SolarAPP+ to help state and local governments to streamline and automate rooftop solar permits. After 40 years of growth, America reached 1 million solar installations in 2016, 2 million in 2019, and 3 million in 2021. With the help of SolarAPP+, the U.S. will double its solar installations to 6 million by 2026.
Solar Leases in South Carolina Get Property Tax Exemption
COLUMBIA, SC and WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, South Carolina’s state legislature passed H. 3354, which exempts leased and third party owned residential solar systems from property taxes. This exemption is already in place for solar customers that own their systems. The new legislation puts all solar customers on equal footing when it comes to tax treatment. H. 3354 prevents solar customers from getting double taxed and will help to support South Carolina’s growing rooftop solar market.
SEIA Completes its Grid Modernization White Paper Series with In-Depth Look at Non-Wires Solutions
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Culminating a yearlong effort into grid modernization, today the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) issued the fifth and final paper in its white paper series, Improving Opportunities for Solar Through Grid Modernization. Through this series, SEIA staff has offered thorough analyses on the expanding role distributed energy resources (DER) will have in our nation’s electricity mix.
SEIA Offers Deep Dive into Locational Value and Time of Use Rates in New White Paper
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Continuing its in-depth look at state-level efforts to modernize the electric utility grid, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) released today the latest installment in its white paper series, Improving Opportunities for Solar Through Grid Modernization.
SEIA Comments on Today's Nevada PUC Ruling on AB 405
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Following is a statement from Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): “Nevadans have said loud and clear they want the choice to install solar on their own homes and see solar jobs grow again in Nevada. That was the intent of AB 405, and we are pleased the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada recognized that in its ruling today. Solar businesses in the state now have the certainty they need to get back to work, which means the jobs and economic benefits will follow in short order." ###
New Opportunities for Solar Abound by Improving Distribution Planning
It’s a new era for the United States electric grid and in the second paper in a series on grid modernization, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) tackles the need for improved distribution planning and operations.
Modernizing the Electric Grid to Encourage Widespread Use of Solar Power
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Built during the last century, the United States electric grid is in need of an update to account for changes in how Americans get their electricity. A white paper being issued by Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) today, is the first in a series that will detail the steps necessary to properly upgrade our power infrastructure.