Advocates Urge Colorado Regulators to Reject Xcel Energy’s Anti-Rooftop Solar Proposal

Renewable energy advocates, businesses and environmental groups joined together to urge the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to reject a new proposal from Xcel Energy that would discourage rooftop solar growth in its territory. Issued last week as part of Xcel’s 2014 Renewable Energy Standard compliance plan, the proposal takes aim at net metering, one of the state’s most important programs for encouraging consumer investment in solar power. The utility is using a contested study that has not undergone public or commission review to make its case against the successful solar policy. The Xcel study and subsequent proposal do not fairly value the many benefits that rooftop solar delivers to Colorado. Rooftop solar is helping Colorado families, schools and businesses take charge of their power supply and their electricity bills like never before. This private investment in local clean energy is delivering economic, environmental and public health benefits to Xcel’s solar and non-solar customers alike. New energy leadership: Colorado ranks 5th in the country with enough solar installed to power 50,500 homes. Grid benefits: Local solar energy systems can reduce the need for expensive centralized power plants and transmission infrastructure, which benefits Colorado’s non-solar customers. Job & economic benefits: There are currently 275 solar companies employing 3,600 Coloradoans throughout the state. In 2012, $187 million was invested in Colorado to install solar on homes and businesses. Advocates issued the following statements in opposition to Xcel’s proposal: “Xcel is using a flawed study and backroom tactics to attempt to roll back one of the state’s most important solar customer rights. While we understand that rooftop solar represents a change from the utility’s traditional way of doing business, this proposal is a non-starter for a needed conversation about the future of rooftop solar in Colorado,” said Annie Lappé, solar policy director at The Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar). “Private investment in rooftop solar is helping build a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy supply for all Coloradans. We encourage the Colorado PUC to stand strong for rooftop solar by rejecting this harmful proposal from Xcel,” said Carrie Cullen Hitt, senior vice president for state affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). "Net metering is key to reaching Colorado’s Million Solar Roofs goal and has been a huge component to helping Colorado families and businesses afford to go solar. Xcel’s current proposal falls short of accounting for rooftop solar’s tremendous value to Colorado. If we're going to have a conversation about net metering, we need to make sure we're using good, updated, accurate information," said Edward Stern, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA). “With this proposal, Xcel is standing in the way of innovation and customer choice to protect its monopoly status,” said Anne Smart, executive director of The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC). “Instead, Xcel should be working with the PUC and stakeholders to support what the public wants, and what’s good for the state’s economy and environment.” “To increase energy self-reliance, clean our air, and fight climate disruption; Coloradans know solar energy represents a better path forward. In fact, a poll we conducted earlier this year showed a majority – nearly 60% – of Colorado voters agrees it’s important to have clean energy powering their homes. We encourage the Public Utilities Commission to act in the interest of its citizens and not a monopoly utility when considering Xcel’s proposal,” said Bryce Carter, organizer with the Sierra Club Colorado Beyond Coal Campaign. “Our state’s solar industry employs thousands of Coloradoans proudly working to build a new energy economy. This latest proposal from Xcel is a real threat to the continued growth of one of the state’s most innovative clean energy industries. At a time when solar has become more affordable than ever, the state's largest utility should be working with consumers, advocates and regulators to expand private investment in solar generation for the benefit of all customers - not cripple the industry,” said Tom Plant, vice president of state policy at Advanced Energy Economy. “Like many utilities across the country, Xcel Energy is trying to squash one of our most successful solar programs,” said Jeanne Bassett with Environment Colorado. “Rooftop solar provides immense environmental and economic benefits to households, businesses and neighborhoods; while making our electric grid more resilient. We urge our state regulators to recognize that net-metering is an efficient way to fairly compensate owners of solar panels for the value they provide to the electric grid and to reject proposals that would erode this effective program” Groups opposing the Xcel net metering proposal include: Advanced Energy Economy, Clean Energy Action, Clean Power Finance, COSEIA, Dynamic Integration, EnergyShouldBe.org, Environment Colorado, Five Star Consultants, Go Green Electric, Namaste Solar, Real Goods Solar, SEIA, Sierra Club, Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter, SolarCity, Sunrun, TASC, Verengo Solar and Vote Solar. About net metering Like rollover minutes on a cell phone bill, net metering gives solar customers full credit on their utility bills for the excess clean power they contribute to the grid. In place in 43 states, this simple crediting arrangement is one of the most important state policies for enabling Americans to generate their own power from solar and other renewable energy resources. Coalition for Solar Rights http://www.protectnetmetering.org

Solar-Energy Groups Oppose Xcel Energy Plan to Roll-Back Colorado Net-Metering Laws

A coalition of solar-industry and environmental groups Tuesday called upon the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to reject an Xcel Energy proposal they say would curtail rooftop solar installations. Xcel, the state's largest electricity provider, has suggested trimming the "net metering" credit that homeowners and small businesses with solar arrays get for putting electricity on the grid. In a unified statement, 22 trade groups, renewable-energy advocacy groups, environmental groups and solar businesses opposed the idea. "Xcel Energy is trying to squash one of our most successful solar programs," said Jeanne Bassett of Environment Colorado. On July 24 , Xcel filed a required renewable-energy plan with the PUC that said homeowners and businesses with solar arrays receive a 10.5-cent credit for each kilowatt-hour they put on the grid but that they provide only about 5 cents in benefits. Xcel did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. In an interview last week, Karen Hyde, an Xcel vice president for rates, said, "We are looking for a more transparent discussion of costs and benefits." "Xcel is using a flawed study and backroom tactics to attempt to roll back one of the state's most important solar customer rights," said Annie Lappé, solar-policy director at the Vote Solar Initiative. Net metering "has been a huge component to helping Colorado families and businesses afford to go solar," said Edward Stern, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.

Colorado's Xcel Energy Signals For Change Of Direction On Net Metering

Xcel Energy says it will seek to continue its incentive programs for on-site solar for Colorado next year while making progress toward meeting the state's renewable energy standards. However, it says it also wants to clarify the costs of the state's net energy metering (NEM) incentive. In filing its 2014 Renewable Energy Standard (RES) compliance plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Xcel Energy says it intends to add 42.5 MW of new generation in 2014, including 24 MW of on-site (“small”) solar and 6.5 MW of community solar through the company’s Solar*Rewards program. The RES compliance plan also asks the CPUC to identify clearly the incentives provided to solar customers associated with NEM. The utility says NEM incentives ultimately are paid by non-solar customers across Xcel Energy’s service territory in Colorado. Xcel Energy says the RES compliance plan does not propose to change the amount of money paid to solar customers in 2014. However, the utility is requesting that the solar customers’ net costs - the benefits they receive less the costs Xcel Energy avoids as a result of their solar systems - be clearly spelled out. Xcel Energy says more than 15,000 of its customers currently participate in the company’s Solar*Rewards program, representing more than 160 MW of solar capacity. The utility says solar generation does allow it to avoid the cost of fuel, some future generating plant needs and some system energy losses, but argues that other costs related to distribution, transmission and generation capacity are not avoided, so they ultimately are paid for by other Xcel Energy customers in Colorado. "One of the goals of the state’s renewable energy effort a decade ago was to help establish the solar industry in Colorado," says David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company, in a statement. "Colorado now enjoys a robust solar industry, and with this filing, we look forward to advancing the dialog about cost and incentive transparency, and about how best to move forward in addressing these issues in the future." Earlier this month, a proposal that utility Arizona Public Service Corp. (APS) submitted to state regulators to add fees to its NEM program produced a storm of protest from solar installers and other sector advocates. Greg Bernosky, manager of renewable energy programs at APS, told Solar Industry that NEM had done its job in establishing a solar sector in the Arizona and was "not meant to be a permanent state." "This is becoming an issue in many states, but we believe our proposal to continue our programs, while quantifying the full value of utility incentives – will make for better future decisions about our renewable energy alternatives," Eves says. "As the solar industry truly moves toward becoming self-sustaining, we need to determine how to address these costs." Xcel Energy says it has proposed other changes in its filing related to contributions to the RES adjustment; modifications to continue the Solar*Rewards Community program to allow for more participation; adjustments to the methodology and premium for the company’s Windsource program; and establishment of non-solar renewable energy credit and recycled energy resource programs.

Mosaic, Distributed Sun partner for first crowdfunded solar project in Colorado

Mosaic, which is using crowdfunding to develop solar and other clean energy projects, today (April 8) unveiled $100 million in solar projects that Californians can invest in directly. At the same time it launched its first offering in what it is calling the Golden State Series of solar projects in California, crowdfunding a 114 kilowatt array on the Ronald McDonald House in San Diego. The $157,750 project was funded within hours of its offering, signifying the public’s interest in supporting solar projects. Mosaic is getting more U.S. citizens to invest directly in solar projects. This is occurring as companies are trying to figure out new financing mechanisms for solar, like creating bonds and securities. Such tools will help lower the cost of solar because they can offer long-term returns at lower interest rates than the short-term, higher interest rate loans that banks and some other institutional investors are looking for. Bonds and securities will also attract new types of investors to solar project financing, investors like insurance companies and retirement funds, which are looking for stable, long-term returns. “California has always been a leader in solar energy. We’re thrilled that now any resident of California can invest directly into solar energy for as little as $25,” said Billy Parish, President & Co-founder of Mosaic. The Ronald McDonald House project is anticipated to offer at 4.5 percent annual return on investment. It will have a 117-month term—nearly 10 years, according to Mosaic. Thus far the company’s offerings to the public have received a lot of interest. When it made three offerings in California this January, all were completely funded within 24-hours. In all, people ponied up to invest $300,000 in the projects. Now that Mosaic received approval from securities regulators, it can start offering its Golden State Series of projects to Californians for investment. However, it has not named all the projects it plans to offer to the public at this point. To make sure that the industry and new investor interest in it is continuing to grow Mosaic is working with other companies as part of the truSolar working group. The companies, which include Standard & Poor’s, DuPont and Distributed Sun, are working on ways to efficiently evaluated projects to ensure quality while reducing the time it takes to bring solar projects to investors.

Senergy Builders Bulid New Solar Homes in Grand Junction, CO

Senergy Builders is building and selling in two subdivisions in the southeast area, KC Farms and River Trails. KC Farms is an 11-lot subdivision near 31 1/2 and E Road, and River Trails is a much larger subdivision off D Road that will eventually have around 200 homes. Both subdivisions offer only Energy Star-rated homes, and the homes in River Trails also have leased solar panels on the roof to generate electricity. “Buyers (at River Trails) are happy about everything — the energy efficiency, the smart home features, the solar panel, the xeriscape — the entire package,” said Joan Lowe with Senergy Builders. Senergy is planning to start two more homes at KC Farms, and at least two more homes at River Trails in the upcoming weeks. The two finished homes at River Trails are still available, however, as prospective buyers who are writing contracts are opting for different floor plans.

Feds bar new mining claims in solar energy zones

WASHINGTON - Federal officials have taken another step toward establishing 17 new "solar energy zones" on public lands in the West by barring new mining claims that could impede renewable energy development on the sites. The Interior Department said Friday it has withdrawn nearly 304,000 acres of public lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah from new mining claims. To streamline solar development, the new zones are located near existing transmission lines, and were chosen because they had fewer environmental and cultural issues that would require years of study and mitigation. Since 2009 the Bureau of Land Management has approved 25 solar projects in the West that when built will be able to power more than 2.4 million homes.