Why 2015 Will Be the Year of Solar Energy

Whether you realize it or not, solar energy is becoming a more and more important part of our energy future. In 2013, 29 percent of new electricity-generating capacity in the U.S. was solar energy, and so far in 2014, 36 percent of new capacity is solar. Falling costs and improving technology will drive wider adoption, and 2015 could be a tipping point, bringing the solar industry to new parts of the country. The Year Solar Caught On in the U.S. 2014 has been the start of consumers and utilities alike understanding the positive impact solar can make. GTM Research expects about 6.5 GW of solar energy to be installed in the U.S. in 2014, enough to power nearly 1.1 million homes. But over half of those installations fall in a relatively small area in California and Arizona, so this isn't a nationwide trend -- yet. And 2015 Is a Tipping Point It's possible that 2015 will be the first year in which over half of new electricity generation capacity in the U.S. will come from solar. It's also likely that the industry will start to solve its intermittency issue, installing energy storage in a growing percentage of homes that decide to go solar. Both would be big milestones for the industry. The potential growth for the solar industry isn't measured in billions of dollars, it's measured in trillions, and in 2015 we'll begin to see the industry's leaders take a larger role in our overall energy future and spread their wings across the country. Like it or not, solar energy is coming to a town near you.

New Report Shows Residential Solar in Colorado Up 30%

Demonstrating continued support for clean, renewable energy, residential solar installations in Colorado in Q3 were up more than 30 percent over the same period last year, according to the new quarterly report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The Solar Market Insight Report found that as of Q3 2014 more than 20,000 Colorado homes have "gone solar," along with more than 1,500 Colorado businesses. "Time and time again, Coloradans have demonstrated their commitment to clean, renewable solar energy and exercised their right to choose their energy source," said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. "In the past year, the cost of solar in Colorado has fallen 17 percent - largely due to smart and effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS)." In 2013, $233 million was invested in Colorado to install solar on homes and businesses, and there are more than 327 solar companies at work throughout the value chain in the state, employing 3,600 Coloradoans. The 376 MW of solar energy currently installed in Colorado ranks the state 8th in the country in installed solar capacity. There is enough solar energy installed in the state to power 68,600 homes. Nationwide, the solar industry employs 143,000 Americans and pumps nearly billion a year into the U.S. economy. But solar also benefits the environment. "The 17,500 megawatts of solar energy currently installed across the United States can generate enough pollution-free electricity to displace 20 billion pounds of coal or 2.2 billion gallons of gasoline," Resch added. "That's the equivalent of removing 4.3 million passenger cars from our roads and highways. Every 3 minutes of every single day, the U.S. solar industry is helping to fight the battle against damaging carbon emissions by flipping the switch on another completed solar project."

Environmental Group Calls On Colorado To Aim Higher To Achieve More Aggressive Solar Growth

Colorado could get 20% of its energy from solar power by 2025. That's according to a new report by Environment Colorado Research and Policy Center, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the state's air, water and open spaces. Kim Stevens, campaign director of the Denver-based advocacy group, says it is a lofty goal, given that solar power is currently less than 1% of electricity generation nationwide. Still, she maintains the solar increase is both possible and necessary. "We are feeling the effects of the changing climate - with drought and wildfires - and last year, we saw historic flooding," Stevens says. "Scientists say it will become more severe. We have the solution here, which is solar power. We know we can do more." AET Energy_id1092 The report authors cited statistics from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) noting that Colorado has more than 500,000 residential and commercial rooftops that could host solar panels. Also according to NREL, the sunny state has the technical potential to meet its energy needs 360 times over. At the end of 2013, Colorado was the eighth-ranked state in total installed solar capacity. Adding to these positives, the price of solar has decreased, and the public's favorable opinion of solar has increased. That means, the report indicated, the obstacles to increasing solar power are systemic and political. Efforts to go solar have been pushed back by forces ranging from powerful fossil fuel interests, to local governments that have not made it easier for homeowners to install solar, to utilities not fully participating in solar efforts. "The technology is there," Stevens says. "We just need the policies to get the ball rolling and carve the way for solar." The report recommends that the state, municipalities and utilities should maintain strong net-metering programs, promote community solar and virtual net-metering, facilitate third-party sales of solar power for solar leasing programs, and invest in a more intelligent electric grid that will enable distributed solar to play a larger role. Also, the report says, the U.S. federal government should commit to a baseline goal of obtaining at least 10% of the nation's electricity from solar energy by 2030. The government should do this by continuing to install solar on government buildings and also by building solar on public lands. The government should also strengthen and finalize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan, which proposes to cut carbon pollution from power plants 30% from 2005 levels. There are many different tools that can help states attain carbon reduction goals, Stevens says. "Here in Colorado, the huge solar potential would help us to get our state more than halfway to the benchmark that the EPA sets." Stevens acknowledges that November was an interesting time to release the report because there was no relevant pending legislation that might move the state toward the solar or the Clean Power Plan goals. Still, Environment Colorado hopes legislators will take note. "We are trying to get the state government to commit to this goal," she says. Environment Colorado has been working with small business owners, local elected officials, farmers and ranchers to call on state officials. "We have been doing the groundwork," Stevens says. "The next step is working with the governor's office and with the legislature." The report, "Star Power: The Growing Role of Solar Energy in Colorado," by Judee Burr and Lindsey Hallock, from the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based research firm Frontier Group; and Rob Sargent from Environment America, a group of state-based environmental advocacy organizations, is available here.

Colorado PUC rejects Xcel Solar Connect plan over competition concerns

Xcel Energy's bid to create a premium solar energy program — potentially in competition with solar installers — was rejected Monday by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Under the proposed Solar Connect program, customers would pay Xcel, the state's largest electricity provider, a premium on their bills to support solar projects. The company said this would enable those who can't have solar panels on their roofs to support solar energy. "We are disappointed with the commission's decision today," the company said in a statement. "We thought that Solar Connect could bring a solar product to consumers in Colorado that do not currently have the option to install solar panels." In a filing, the PUC staff recommended rejecting the program, saying Solar Connect would "have an unfair competitive advantage" over home rooftop solar and community solar garden programs. PUC chairman Josh Epel said Monday that the commission has to make sure that solar proposals are "in harmony and not in conflict." Solar industry executives and advocates had also voiced concerns about Solar Connect. "We applaud the PUC decision," said Rebecca Cantwell, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association. "We think they got it right. Solar Connect as proposed just had too many unresolved issues."

New study anticipates rapid solar energy growth in Colorado

According to a new report just released by The Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center, Colorado should build on the recent growth in solar energy by setting a goal of obtaining at least 20 percent of its electricity from solar power by 2025. Colorado currently sits seventh in the nation in solar power generation. The report states that the United States now has enough solar electric capacity installed to power more than 3.2 million homes, and that the amount of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in the U.S. has tripled in the past two years. To reach the goal of Colorado generating 20 percent of its electricity via solar by 2025, solar PV installations would have to continue to increase at least 30 percent annually between now and 2025. If the past is any sign, Colorado should have no problem reaching its goal. Between 2010 and 2013, solar capacity in Colorado increased at an annual rate of 44 percent. The report also urges the federal government to commit to a baseline goal of obtaining at least 10 percent of the nation’s electricity via solar by 2030. Here are the top reasons why Colorado must increase its solar energy use, according to the report: Producing 20 percent of its electricity from clean, solar power would reduce Colorado’s global warming pollution by more than 7 million metric tons in 2025—the equivalent of taking 1.6 million cars off the road. Expanding solar energy will also reduce emissions of pollutants that contribute to the formation of smog and soot and threaten public health, especially children. Obtaining 20 percent of Colorado’s electricity from solar energy would reduce water consumption from power plants dramatically by using a life-cycle assessment. Solar energy creates local, clean energy jobs that can’t be outsourced. 3,600 Coloradoans worked in the solar industry in 2013.

The world’s largest solar power plant is now online

The world’s largest solar power plant is up and running in California, with the completion of Topaz, a 550 megawatt plant; the Topaz solar project completed its final 40-megawatt (AC) phase, making history not only as the first 500-megawatt plus solar farm to come on-line in the U.S. but also as the largest solar plant on-line in the world. This is a $2.5 billion project, with construction that began two years ago. The owner is MidAmerican Solar, a Pheonix, Arizona-based subsidiary of MidAmerican Renewables. Topaz is described by MidAmerican Solar as a 550-megawatt photovoltaic power plant. The developer for the project is listed as First Solar, discussing on its website the project that will produce sufficient electricity to power 160,000 average California homes. Topaz is located in San Luis Obispo County, California, on the northwestern corner of the Carrisa Plains. First Solar said that site was chosen after considerations regarding available solar resource, proximity to existing electrical transmission lines, current land use, and environmental sensitivities. They said that Topaz is sited on largely “non-prime,” actively tilled agricultural land that has “limited productivity.” At the northwestern edge of the Carrisa Plains, added First Solar, Topaz is more than six miles from the more sensitive habitats in the Carrizo Plain National Monument. According to fact sheet notes from MidAmerican Solar, the Topaz project is being built on previously disturbed agricultural land with a minimally impervious surface that allows for natural drainage and low-impact development and has the best solar insolation in Pacific Gas and Electric’s service territory. The Topaz project is designed to function as productive grassland habitat for native plants and animals while being used for passive farming of the sun’s energy. Water used during construction is primarily for dust control. During operation, the panels do not require washing and vegetation is maintained to help with dust control. “As of today,” wrote Eric Wesoff on November 24 in Greentech Media, “the project has installed 9 million solar panels across 9.5 square miles in San Luis Obispo County on California’s Carrizo Plain. Construction began in 2012 and was expected to be complete in early 2015—so call this an on-time delivery.” Engadget said that “It’s an impressive feat that should power 160,000 homes on Pacific Gas and Electric’s grid.”

‘Both Sides of the Meter’ at Colorado Climate Summit

Colorado is a hotspot for energy innovation: The city of Fort Collins is pushing the envelope with a net-zero energy central district. The Rocky Mountain Institute has been generating schemes for energy efficiency and clean energy for 30 years. And the city of Boulder has more solar panels than some states. All of these were featured programs at the first-ever Colorado Climate Summit, held on the campus of the University of Colorado last weekend in the middle of – you guessed it – the unusual weather event of an early blizzard. But the mood wasn’t self-congratulatory — it was urgent. Hopeful, but urgent. Efficiency and solar panels on roofs aren’t enough, warned one clean energy expert. “We have to look at both sides of the meter,” said Leslie Glustrom, pointing at a chart of Boulder’s carbon emissions that, despite tremendous work and city effort to reduce carbon emissions, showed marginal gains. Glustrom pointed out that Boulder is still dependent on a coal plant. “If you took that offline it would be like taking 150,000 homes off the grid,” she said. “Utilities are standing in the way of the clean energy transition,” warned Glustrom, because the inertia is too strong — they must be pressed via local government into transitioning to renewables. Boulder itself is taking matters into its own hands, and since voter approval in 2011 has been developing its own publicly-owned utility. Colorado climate activists of all stripes came to the summit to talk about ‘both sides of the meter;’ it is unavoidable to think about supply in a state facing massive fracking development, as well as traditional oil and gas. Writer and publisher Robert Castellino founded the sponsoring organization Climate Colorado earlier this year after going through the Climate Reality Project’s international leadership program (which has now trained leaders in Brazil, South Africa, Australia and elsewhere.) The summit also included discussions on youth, growing environmental literacy, the climate’s impact on aging, diversifiying and internationalizing the climate movement and more. Rapid prototyping teams at the summit. Photo by Lee Buchsbaum. Rapid prototyping teams at the summit. You could feel an urgency about climate change in the room; Colorado is really the canary in the coal mine, already seeing more statistically unusual weather than the rest of the country. Massive wildfires consumed the forests of the Front Range around Fort Collins in 2012, and five-day floods killed eight people and destroyed 2,000 homes last September. Driving through these mountains, it is eerie: You see a landscape of orange-brown-black trees. Most of the presenters connected their passion directly to the destruction they had already seen — the disappearance of a salmon species, or fracking wastewater ponds in a place of great beauty. Many talked about their homes and several teared up. “In Colorado, climate change is happening. The effects are real,” Castellino said. Localizing the climate fight is working in Colorado, as several of the presenters told the assembled crowd at the Gettches Wilkinson Resource Center at the CU law school. Coloradans have been able to get municipalities to pressure utilities; grassroots advocates in Lafayette were able to use the city’s franchise renewal process to fight for a transition to clean energy. colorado climate summit logoThe anti-fracking movement in Colorado has also had success, mostly in the northern part of the state, passing local bans in Lafayette, Broomfield, Boulder, Boulder County and Fort Collins, according to Frack Free Colorado organizer Suzanne Spiegel. (Lafayette’s unique initiative declared that the community right to clean air and water is equal to mineral rights held by individuals.) So far, oil and gas developers are still able to head off statewide change. The summit will culminate in the Switch 2020 plan and several other collaborations put forward by Climate Colorado.

A biochemist on a mission to fight climate change, one coal plant at a time

Leslie Glustrom recently turned 60, but she’s no where near finished working on her life’s mission to fight climate change. Throughout her career, Glustrom has been a science writer, teacher, and worked on public lands issues in Arizona in the 1990’s. Ten years ago, she left her job as a biochemistry researcher at Colorado University to devote herself full-time to educating her Boulder community about the dangers of coal-fired power plants – which accounts for approximately 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. This Saturday, she will be speaking at the Colorado Climate Summit to help inspire people across the country to make a difference in their environment. “We need as citizens to understand our end of the meter,” says Glustrom. “We are going to talk about how people can work with their local governments to keep the pressure on the utilities to move beyond fossil fuels and move towards the solar era.” The long-time scientist explains her innate desire to preserve the environment developed around age 6 – after seeing a Monarch butterfly for the first time. She says as an older adult, she not only appreciates nature, she now worries about the negative impact humans are having on it. For example, she mentions the farmers in Bolivia who are forced to migrate from their barren land as climate change disrupts weather patterns there. “I will probably never know those farmers, or the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines…I might never see a polar bear in real life, but when I see those polar bears with no ice to be seen, and its 200 miles to the next ice flow, I’m going to feel it,” says Glustrom. “I have a moral obligation to do everything I can – even if I don’t have grandchildren.” When Colorado’s largest utility company decided to build a coal-fired power plant, Comanche 3 in Pueblo, CO, in 2005, her same sense of moral urgency is what led her, and two others, to form the nonprofit Clean Energy Action. “If you care about humans and species, and if you recognize that connection between suffering and our energy choices, then what you want to do is stop pumping the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and methane,” says Glustrom. “That’s a big task but somebody’s got to start.” She says around the same time, President Bush had sent a signal to the utility industry that it was okay to build coal plants, and there were more than 150 coal plants commissioned – each of which would last at least 60 years. “People like me said, ‘Excuse me!,” says Glustrom. “Our vision is we want clean energy, and we’re willing to act to bring about the clean energy future.” She says of all of those 150 proposed coal plants, 150 were stopped – thanks to the tireless work of Clean Energy Action and other environmental groups like The Sierra Club. “We won many, many battles. It’s an outstanding accomplishment,” says Glustrom, only saddened they couldn’t stop the plant in Colorado. She says she is also proud of a realization she had in 2008, when President Obama was running for his first election. “Obama said, ‘Coal is what makes this country great, we’ll just make coal clean’…the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund said, ‘We’ll just make coal clean,’ a lot of environmental groups were saying, ‘We’ll just make coal clean,’” remembers Glustrom. “‘Clean coal’ is a dirty lie…you can’t make coal clean.” The biochemist explains you can’t make carbon dioxide go away, and you can’t create or destroy matter. “We gathered the documentation, did conferences,” says Glustrom about how she and her team tried to educate the masses about the reality of coal plants. “I predicted a lot of things that are happening right now. It’s something I’m proud of having figured out, but it’s something I’m deeply concerned about. We have to get our country repowered.” The activist says that currently large utilities have a lot of financial power within the government, but not in the local level. She says the one place regular citizens can have an impact is working at the local level and educating local officials. “Have them accept responsibility and recognize the moral responsibility we have. In that way, we can make great progress,” says Glustrom. “Our team in Boulder – we know how to do this research, and we will help any community. Every community can do it, and I think every community has an obligation to do it.” What advice would she tell her younger self with the wisdom she now has? “Treasure your life. None of us are promised tomorrow. So be sure to enjoy every day,” she says. “Know that everyone has important contributions to make, and that is how we honor the miracle that is life…Know that life is complex. Work hard, do the best you can, but be gentle. Honor yourself, and honor the miracle that is life.”

Conservatives pro-solar claims Xcel wants to kill solar in Colorado

A new conservative pro-solar organization has raised in Colorado, US, with a very particular name "Tell Utilities Solar Won't be Killed", or simply TUSK. The promoters say this organization "has launched organizing, fundraising, and education campaigns in Colorado in response to government-regulated monopoly utility Xcel's attacks on rooftop solar. Xcel wants to damage the state's rooftop solar industry and deny Coloradans the right to generate their own electricity", Former US Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. TUSK's Chairman, has said "this war on energy choice has been moving state to state as utilities try – and fail – to drive solar competitors out of business (...). Utilities like Xcel are launching these attacks in red and purple states because they think Republicans are so backwards they can't see the benefits of solar. They are wrong. Conservatives stand for competition, and it is high time these utility companies understand that." Contrary to what Gordon Gekko from the movie 'Wall Street' once said, greed is not good, and it's certainly not good for Xcel Energy's Colorado customers. Click here to watch our video. TUSK claims Colorado has become a heated battleground where monopolist utility Xcel is trying to end energy choice and competition by attacking rooftop solar. The organization argues utilities like Xcel have failed to stifle rooftop solar in Arizona, Oklahoma, Idaho, Utah and countless other states. The lobby group is currently active in states across the country and is now working to ensure utilities won't kill competition in Colorado. The organization believes Xcel wants to gut a policy called net metering. Net metering gives solar customers fair credit for the valuable surplus energy they provide to the grid. That surplus energy is send to the grid and Xcel sells it at the full retail rate. The organization claims Xcel is asking regulators to change the rules so that it can just confiscate the rooftop solar surplus and sell it for a profit. TUSK has released a short video where they say famous "Wall Street" character Gordon Gecko would applaud Xcel's scheme to rake in excess profits but people paying utility bills would feel otherwise.

Here Comes the Sun: America’s Solar Boom

Last week, an energy analyst at Deutsche Bank came to a startling conclusion: By 2016, solar power will be as cheap or cheaper than electricity from the conventional grid in every state except three. That’s without any changes to existing policy. In other words, we’re only a few years away from the point where, in most of the United States, there will be no economic reason not to go solar. If you care about slowing climate change or just moving toward cleaner energy, that is a huge deal. And solar energy is already going gangbusters. In the past decade, the amount of solar power produced in the United States has leaped 139,000 percent. A number of factors are behind the boom: Cheaper panels and a raft of local and state incentives, plus a federal tax credit that shaves 30 percent off the cost of upgrading. Still, solar is a bit player, providing less than half of 1 percent of the energy produced in the United States. But its potential is massive — it could power the entire country 100 times over. So what’s the holdup? A few obstacles: pushback from old-energy diehards, competition with other efficient energy sources, and the challenges of power storage and transmission. But with solar in the Southwest already at “grid parity” — meaning it costs the same or less as electricity from conventional sources — Wall Street is starting to see solar as a sound bet. As a recent Citigroup investment report put it, “Our viewpoint is that solar is here to stay.”

Colorado Knows How to Maximize 300 Days of Sunshine

Denver residents are taking advantage of the city’s sunny days and mild temperatures — and turning the sunshine into solar energy. At the end of 2013, the Mile High City had a total installed capacity of 25 megawatts (MW) of clean energy from the sun, ranking it the 10th best city in America in terms of solar energy. The cities were evaluated by Environment Colorado and released in the 2014 report, “Shining Cities: At the Forefront of America’s Solar Energy Revolution.” The Mile High City’s cumulative capacity of 25 MW of solar breaks down to 40 watts per person, or enough solar to power the needs of 7,500 homes, the report reveals. “The sky’s the limit on solar energy,” Margaret McCall, energy associate with Environment Colorado, said in a statement. “Denver is a shining example of solar leadership. But we’ve barely scratched the surface of the potential to capture this pollution-free energy source.” Driving Solar Growth by Installations on Public Buildings Denver and Portland were the two U.S cities commended for their leadership role in driving solar growth by installing solar panels on public buildings. “Cities can lead and catalyze local markets by installing solar power on city buildings and setting ambitious but achievable targets for solar energy,” the report stated. “Denver has installed 9.4 MW of solar power on city and county buildings, and the city has partnered with the Denver Public Schools to install solar power on 28 school buildings.” A Successful Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) One reason that the Mile High City is a top city for solar is because of its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and consequently, Xcel Energy’s solar rebates. The first state in the nation to adopt an RPS mandate, Colorado requires investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to derive 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Because of the RPS requirement, IOUs like Xcel need customers to switch to renewable energy to meet the state mandate — and entice them by offering cash payments called solar Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). Throughout Colorado, only two power companies issue performance payments for every kilowatt hour of generated solar: Xcel Energy and Black Hills. As these utilities reach their RPS requirements, they begin paying less (and then nothing) for renewable energy production. Although REC payments from smaller customer-owned systems (up to 25 kilowatts) have already fallen to$.03 per kWh, customers in Xcel Energy’s service territory can still obtain higher REC payments through community solar. Community Solar RECs When the Colorado Community Solar Gardens Act was passed in 2010 authorizing community solar projects, Xcel Energy developed its Solar*Rewards program—offering 10 solar rewards programs in Colorado each year. Through the program, community-owned solar developer Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has built nine shared solar facilities in which customers can buy panels and receive cash performance payments from Xcel. Another three Solar*Rewards projects are under development in Arapahoe, Lake and Boulder counties. Although the REC payments for personal solar systems decrease over time, the RECs issued in conjunction with Solar*Rewards projects are locked in at a rate negotiated between CEC and Xcel. Therefore, customers who purchase panels in these community-owned solar projects will receive quarterly REC payments between $.08 and $.11 per kWh (gross) throughout the array’s 20-year life expectancy — compared to the 10-year REC payments issued for smaller rooftop systems. “Solar power is booming across the country and cities are at the forefront,” McCall said. “As the number 10 city in the country, Denver is a case in point — but we still have work to do to make the most of our 300 days of sun.”

Residential solar energy options in Mesa County, CO

The price of solar panels has been dropping. In the last five years the cost has decreased 60-70 percent. That’s why one of the best home builders in Mesa County is making solar power a standard part of a home. When buyers move into homes built by Synergy Builders, there are already solar panels on the roof. Synergy Builder's says only 450,000 rooftops in America have solar panels. Yet they expect that number to grow quickly as consumer demand increases. Synergy Builder's believes there is a lot of opportunity to do solar because more than 900,000 new homes are built in the United States every year. Synergy Builder's is one of only a handful of builders in the country who are offering solar panels as a standard feature of a home.

There are many ways to do solar right

Xcel Energy has been talking a lot about solar energy this year. Advertising proclaiming the need to "Do Solar Right" was ubiquitous before the utility proposed a new solar program of 50MW of centralized power that it wants to sell the public. It's encouraging that Xcel believes there is a market for lots more solar energy. It shows that the utility is realizing all the benefits: solar energy emits no harmful air pollution, it uses no water, and it harvests the abundant free fuel that Colorado is blessed with 300 days a year. Solar is starting to compete favorably with other energy sources in price, and the economics keep improving. As the solar industry has proven over the last three decades, there is more than one way to do solar right. The thousands of Coloradans who have chosen to go solar by putting panels on their roofs and contributing clean energy to their neighbors are doing solar right. The hundreds of entrepreneurial installers who have built a strong solar industry that has contributed $1.42 billion to Colorado's economy since 2007 are doing solar right. The national players who have introduced zero-down leases to make solar affordable to nearly everyone are doing solar right. The pioneering community solar developers who have shown how to bring the benefits of solar to renters and condo-dwellers are also doing solar right. So are the innovative non-profits and government agencies who are bringing solar to low-income and disabled people. Just since 2007, Colorado's solar industry has brought Coloradans more than $44.4 million in environmental benefits through avoiding emissions of pollutants tied to conventional electricity production, and saved nearly 400 million gallons of water, which would have otherwise been used generating electricity. The roughly 20,000 Coloradans who have made their own investments in generating rooftop power are a big part of solar's growing success. Not only are they exercising their freedom of choice, but they are also creating real benefits for everyone else. The benefits of rooftop solar — distributed rather than centralized power generation — are many. Our aging power supply system is increasingly vulnerable to equipment malfunctions, wildfires in beetle-killed forests where huge transmission lines run, and other natural and man-made threats. Solar generated in neighborhoods and backed up with energy storage (a coming trend) will become increasingly important for our energy security and independence. Rooftop solar also helps lower electric bills for the rest of us. A recent study by national experts Crossborder Energy found that in Colorado, the value of rooftop solar is 18.2 cents per kilowatt hour -- with avoided energy, avoided emissions and avoided generation capacity the biggest of nine different contributing factors. This value is much higher than the credit solar customers receive. Rooftop solar benefits all Xcel ratepayers to the tune of $13.6 million a year, Crossborder has found. Independent studies in other states have confirmed that rooftop solar brings net benefits to all ratepayers. Coloradans who are installing solar energy on rooftops are lowering monthly electric bills for the rest of us. That is doing solar right. While discrediting the value of power produced by rooftop solar using flawed math, Xcel is pushing for its new Solar Connect proposal for 50 MW of centralized solar. The monopoly utility seeks to sell shares to the public, in competition with the solar industry's community solar gardens and rooftop offerings. Large solar projects have an important role to play in our state's energy future. But we hope that our state regulators and policy makers will realize the state's solar industry has been doing solar right for years to help Colorado grow into a solar leader. Giving Xcel an unfair advantage in the marketplace would not be doing solar right. Rebecca Cantwell is executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.

Colorado Green School Conference

More than 400 K-12 and Higher Education stakeholders, policy makers, students, parents and green building industry professionals are expected to attend USGBC Colorado’s Green Schools Summit for a discussion on the future of education and how it is shifting, to be held at the University of Denver on Friday, November 14. Now in its eighth year, the focus of the Summit will be how to design, build and maintain 21st-century schools, with the ultimate goal of greening Colorado’s schools within one generation. “It’s not just about efficiency. It’s about healthy spaces and initiatives that evoke students’ imagination and remove obstacles to learning. We know that where we learn matters,” said Margaret Pauls, past chair of USGBC Colorado’s Green Schools Initiative. Attendees of the Green Schools Summit learn about emerging trends and best practices from experts in the field. “Our vision of ‘green schools in Colorado within this generation’ is widely shared,” said Patti Mason, Associate Director of the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter. “The challenge for school districts is how to get from that shared vision to a reality. This year’s summit focuses on best practices, finding resources, and innovative strategies to fund green school projects, bring sustainable learning in the classroom, and get the whole community involved.” The Summit will feature three education tracks organized around the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Three Pillars: reduce environmental impact and costs; improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and provide environmental education. The technical track is designed with industry practitioners in mind and dives deeper into the topic identified. Two prominent researchers and educators will deliver keynote addresses at the event. They are Dr. John Medina, author of the New York Times bestseller Brain Rules and the national bestseller Brain Rules for Baby and Karl Fisch, creator of Shift Happens. Dr. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and private research consultant. He holds joint affiliate faculty appointments at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in its Department of Bioengineering, and at Seattle Pacific University, where he is the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research. Fisch has been teaching for over 25 years; he now serves as Director of Technology at Arapahoe High School in Centennial. He also runs an education blog, The Fischbowl. Medina and Fisch will be joined by representatives of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Energy Office and Colorado Department of Revenue, who will share updates. Teachers can attend the Green Schools Summit for a discounted rate of $25. USGBC Colorado member rate is $150. Registration can be accessed at http://usgbccolorado.org/content.php?page=Green_Schools_Summit. For more information about sponsorship opportunities please contact Patti Mason at patti@usgbccolorado.org or 303-292-6181.

Battle lines drawn over Colorado net metering dispute

US utility, Xcel Energy (XE), has said it is hoping to prove a “hidden” solar subsidy in a series of hearings discussing net metering (NM) in the state of Colorado. Meanwhile solar advocacy group, The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) has accused XE of using “flawed methodology” in its argument and of protecting a “monopoly”. Back in July, XE filed its renewable energy plan for 2014 with the Colorado Public Utilities’ Commission (PUC). In response to XE’s plan the PUC called for an examination into net metering rates, resulting in four hearings, one last July, one 1 October, and two to follow. For the following two sessions, senior media representative for XE, Mark Stutz said to PV Tech via e-mail the utility is “seeking verification that there is a hidden NM subsidy”. Stutz described the apparent hidden subsidy for solar NM customers as “the benefits of the grid and other costs”. Stutz said this benefit is delivered to NM users “essentially, through another mechanism on customer bills. Our non-rooftop solar customers don’t even really know they’re paying this subsidy each month.” Stutz said once the PUC hearings reveal the “hidden subsidy”, the cost “needs to be transparent so that all non-solar customers know they are paying it”, and would also need to be recorded through the state’s Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA). Stutz said XE proposed examining NM “for a number of reasons”, one of which is to “keep up” with exponential new installations of solar power, stating installation rates increased by 64% in 2013. Susan Glick, senior manager for public policy at residential solar provider, Sunrun, and spokesperson for TASC, said XE's “attack” on rooftop solar “starts as trying to roll back net metering” and if the PUC did decide to change NM, the decision “would be a devastating blow to the solar industry”. “It is a corner stone policy. It is critical to continue solar growth. If you want to continue solar growth you can’t get rid of net metering,” Glick said. Stutz stressed XE had not proposed a NM reduction but the issue is “strictly” policy only, and about “fairness”. Glick argued that there are hidden benefits of rooftop solar for utilities, rather than hidden costs, citing the Cross Border Energy report. The report concludes NM delivers financial benefits to all rate payers, not just solar customers. Strutz said the same societal benefits such as jobs, health and environment, come from large, central solar installations – the same as from rooftop solar, but central installations get “more generation for our customers’ dollars”. Responding to the allegation of flawed methodology, Stutz responded that “one can certainly disagree on the numbers in terms of dollar and cents, but at the end of the day there’s a hidden subsidy”. Stutz said solar NM customers also benefit XE by offsetting the cost of fuel, and some generation costs, offsetting approximately US$0.046 per kWh put on XE’s grid. However, this does not offset all generation, distribution or transmission costs, added Stutz. Stutz claimed solar NM customers therefore “double-use” the grid, “75% of the time”, by putting out excess power generated, or to bring in power when systems are not generating. This “double-use” costs all XE non-rooftop solar customers US$0.059 per kWh produced, estimated Stutz. Stutz said if the rooftop solar industry in Colorado “truly was compensated for its contribution to cost of service, and otherwise paid for its fair share of the grid, then [the rooftop solar industry] would have an extremely difficult time making their business models work”. Stutz added the RESA bills add to all customers 2% extra each month, to support renewable energy. Stutz said XE “believes the actual system benefit for rooftop solar is significantly less than the full retail rate, in a true, utility cost-of-service model.” But Glick said XE raising NM as an issue to the PUC is a “red herring” to protect profits. Glick said XE “see rooftop solar as a threat to their growth”, and are therefore “attacking” solar to protect its “monopoly”. Stutz countered that 76% of new solar installations are handled by one solar company, and one solar company accounts for 98% of all new solar kWh. “We might need to consider who is protecting profits, and who is the monopoly here?” TASC claimed that XE put in solar programmes and set the rates, recovering all costs of deploying solar systems. “That makes rooftop solar part of the monopoly. The competitive market can’t do that” explains Glick. “[XE] have never seen competition before” and are “anti-competitive”. “Utilities say they are totally fine with rooftop solar, as long as they are the ones who can own it,” said Glick. XE does not own solar, put does have power purchase agreements for large central solar projects with independent power producers in Colorado. Stutz said this was cheaper for all rate payers, and there “remains a place for some rooftop solar as long as our customers want it”. One thing that is “undeniable”, said Glick, is the overwhelming public support for rooftop solar. “If an election were held today, 74% of voters would vote ‘yes’ on a pro solar net metering ballot measure,” said Glick. “That speaks magnitudes.”

Colorado PUC Deliberates the Benefits of Net Metering

Solar supporters once again packed the house at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission yesterday as Xcel Energy and solar advocates debated the benefits of net metering. A diverse range of supporters showed up to the panel, including the President of the NAACP Colorado State Conference. Bryan Hannegan from the National Renewable Energy Lab first framed the conversation by referencing “Methods for Analyzing the Benefits and Costs of Distributed Photovoltaic Generation to the U.S. Electric Utility System“. The remaining three hours of the panel centered around deliberation on the calculation methods and economic values of the benefits of net metering in Colorado. On one side, the utility cited assumptions from their last Electric Resource Plan (including a zero value for the cost of carbon), coming up with a value of 8 cents per kilowatt-hour. Representing the solar industry, Vote Solar’s own Rick Gilliam along with Tom Beach of Crossborder Energy calculated a benefit of 18 cents a kilowatt-hour, more than double that of Xcel. The solar industry analysis included environmental and societal benefits, such as reducing pollution and creating jobs. The Commission was able to narrow points of disagreement to a few key areas: The value of pollution emission reductions The value of generation Savings for distribution and transmission systems Societal value This was the second of three workshops that the PUC is holding to take a close look at this successful crediting arrangement for rooftop solar. The 3rd panel, which is expected to take place before the end of the year, will review net metering policies in other states. Chairman Epel indicated that a 4th panel may be necessary to address any outstanding issues from the first three panels. This is important stuff for the future of rooftop solar in the Centennial State!

Reserve Your Spot at 2015 Solar Power Colorado Exposition

Please join us to launch the next quarter century of growth and opportunity in solar energy! We are pleased to invite you to a limited time special offer to sign up now for 2015 Solar Power Colorado. The premier annual solar energy conference and product exposition in the Rocky Mountain Region, Solar Power Colorado is presented by the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) . As we mark 25 years of leading the industry's growth, join with us to discover what's on the horizon and how you can capitalize on emerging trends in the marketplace. Solar Power Colorado will bring hundreds of executives and professionals from across America as we explore policy, financing, technology and marketing. Learn, collaborate and cultivate relationships as you network with national experts at panel discussions and investigate how to drive growth for your business in the exhibit hall. Catch up with old friends, colleagues, and develop new relationships to grow and enhance your bottom line. Register For the 2015 Solar Power Colorado Expo Free admission to the VIP reception on Monday evening and the annual COSEIA luncheon on Wednesday Network with leading solar industry executives from across the nation Identify new and emerging market opportunities important for solid business growth Gain insight into the latest policy initiatives and programs Most meals provided and discounted premium accommodations available Learn about exciting new solar products in the Expo Hall Earn educational credits for continuing NABCEP certification Increase market penetration and effectiveness Solar Power Colorado offers a tremendous opportunity to reach 500+ solar business leaders and influencers. The exhibit hall and nearly all the sponsorship tiers sell out year after year due to high levels of interest - the 2015 conference will likely sell out too. This is the solar event by which others are measured. Network with solar business leaders and build the professional connections you need to succeed. There's no better way to develop long-term relationships with solar business leaders than by attending Solar Power Colorado - solar leaders comprise about 80% of attendees. Business owners and managers represent the largest category of attendees (53% in past years ) with sales and marketing professionals close behind (28% of attendees). In addition to business leaders, you'll have a chance to meet installers, engineers, educators, influential government officials and supply chain professionals. Colorado is widely recognized as a national leader in solar. With more than 400 solar businesses and a 30% Renewable Energy Standard, Colorado's solar market is one of the most robust in the nation. Plan to grow your revenues as you connect with influential solar leaders. Space is limited, so be sure to register and reserve your sponsorship & booth before this event sells out. Download the Sponsorship Details Interested in promoting your products and services? Please feel free to contact me directly for sponsorship-exhibit opportunities to learn about how our conference is the best business investment for growth in 2015. Invest in solar energy and your organizations future by joining us in 2015. Contact the Colorado Solar Industries Association (303) 333-7342 coseia.org

Colorado’s Power Plants are Major Global Warming Polluters New Report: The Proposed EPA Clean Power Plan Is an Internationally Significant Step Forward on Climate

Denver, CO –As international leaders prepare for the United Nations Climate Summit next week in New York, a new study shows Colorado’s power plants dumped as much carbon pollution into the atmosphere as the entire country of New Zealand in 2012. Environmental advocates, local elected officials and clean energy business leaders pointed to the data to support proposed limits on carbon pollution from power plants. “When power plants here in Colorado create as much pollution as an entire country, we know the climate’s in trouble,” said Travis Madsen, Senior Manager for Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center. “Colorado’s making progress in cleaning up our pollution, but we need to accelerate our investments in clean energy.” The Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center report, America’s Dirtiest Power Plants, comes as more than a hundred thousand activists and world leaders converge in New York City seeking solutions to climate change, which scientists have clearly linked to extreme weather events such as the extreme downpour and flooding that struck the Front Range last September, displacing more than 100,000 people from their homes. The report also comes as the Environmental Protection Agency takes public comments on proposed, first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants. If enacted, the limits would be the largest single step the United States or any country has ever taken to cut global warming emissions. By comparing carbon emissions from U.S. power plants in 2012 to total carbon emissions of entire countries, the Environment Colorado analysis shows why limiting pollution from coal plants would make such a big impact. Key findings include: If the United States’ fleet of coal- and gas-burning power plants were a country, it would be the 3rd-largest carbon polluter, behind the entire U.S. and China. The Craig Station in Craig is Colorado’s largest global warming polluter, followed by the Comanche plant in Pueblo. These power plants are the 52nd and 54th most-polluting plants in the country. Colorado ranks 19th in the nation for total carbon pollution from power plants. Altogether, the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan would reduce as much carbon pollution in 2030 as the entire country of Canada, the world’s 8th-largest polluter, emits today. The Clean Power Plan would also spur investments in clean energy like wind and solar power, for which there is vast potential across the country and in Colorado. “Colorado has taken important steps to cut its carbon pollution and invest in clean energy, including measures to strengthen the renewable energy standard, boosting geothermal projects across the state, and incentivizing drivers and companies to switch to electric and alternative fuel vehicles,” said State Representative Mike Foote. “This is a good start, but we all know more must be done to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.” “Solar energy reduces carbon pollution – nationally it will help us avoid 13.8 million metric tons of CO2 this year,” said Rebecca Cantwell, Executive Director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association. “And the Clean Power Plan will help create jobs and economic development with more solar energy. This report shows how important it is to get started right away.” Americans have submitted more than 6 million comments to EPA supporting limits on carbon pollution from power plants; and more than a thousand people testified in support of the Clean Power Plan at hearings held across the country this summer, including a hearing in Denver in August. Local elected officials, small businesses owners and dozens of members of Congress have all voiced support for limits on carbon pollution. In Denver, supportive testimony outnumbered those opposed by five to one and more than 300 people attended supportive rallies. “The Clean Power Plan gives Colorado a new opportunity to take charge of our energy future,” said Madsen. “Senator Udall has supported climate action and now it’s especially important that he continue to stand up to polluters and back EPA’s plan.”

Community solar' power grows in Colorado

The amount of electricity generated by "community solar" power systems has grown rapidly in the last few years in Colorado — and may be poised for even bigger growth. "Community solar" is the name given to commercial-sized solar power systems in which individuals or businesses can buy or lease individual solar power panels — and get credit off their monthly bill for the renewable power generated by the systems. The systems generally range in capacity between 500 kilowatts and 2 megawatts. The systems allow homeowners and business people who want solar power but can't put a system on their own rooftops because they rent the home, live in an apartment complex, or the roof is too shaded or faces the wrong direction. Solar gardens allow those customers to buy into a larger solar array and get credit for the solar power that's generated. The first system came online in Colorado in 2009, when United Power, a Brighton-based rural electric cooperative serving more than 67,000 customers in areas of six counties north of Denver, was the first utility to create a solar garden with 48 solar power panels. The coop installed another 48 panels in August 2010.

76% Of Coloradans Support Rooftop Solar, New Poll Finds

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, a media relations specialist from XCEL Energy, “The only thing regarding rooftop solar that’s on the table right now is a discussion about how to classify net metering.” Keating Research and Public Opinion Strategies contacted 500 registered voters from all across Colorado. According to information in the form, respondents were from all political persuasions and income levels. “This poll demonstrates increased public understanding of and support for solar net metering and a willingness to defend the tremendous benefits it has already delivered to Colorado,” said Walker Wright, spokesperson for The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) and Director of Government Affairs at Sunrun. “Coloradans want the choice for self-generated solar power, which contributes to the grid’s improvement while creating jobs in a growing industry.”

Utah commission rejects proposed fee for solar homes

Utahns with rooftop solar panels won’t face a new fee from Rocky Mountain Power after the Utah Public Service Commission ruled Friday that the utility company failed to prove such a charge is “just and reasonable.” But this contentious debate pitting the state’s largest electric company against environmental groups isn’t going away. The Commission is open to revisiting the issue as long as Rocky Mountain Power can provide some hard data proving these customers should be treated differently than others who just use less energy than the average family. Renewable energy advocates hailed the ruling as a major victory. “What a bright day for Utah’s future,” said Sarah Wright, executive director of Utah Clean Energy. “This order protects energy choice in Utah, and recognizes the potential solar has to benefit all Utahns.” Rocky Mountain Power framed the ruling as a minor setback in on an issue that’s far from being settled. “It is a little disappointing that the commission did not take at least an interim step,” said Dave Eskelsen, a spokesman for the power company. “We understand that emotions are running high. We look forward to participating in the accumulation of more information.” This high-profile fight has far more to do with Utah’s energy future than the dollars and cents at stake today. Rocky Mountain Power wanted to levy a $4.65 per month fee for “net meter” customers, a group of early solar adopters who number about 2,700. If the fee was implemented, it would raise just $150,000 the first year. At the same time, the commission did approve a small rate increase for all residential customers that is expected to net the company $35 million in the next year. That 1.9 percent rate increase, which goes into effect on Monday, means the average energy bill will go up $1.76 per month. The commission also approved another general rate increase for Sept. 2015 that would add another 73 cents per month to the average bill. Nevertheless, the number of homes with solar panels is growing and Rocky Mountain Power argued in a contentious two-day hearing last month that these customers are not paying their fair share of the utility’s fixed costs to maintain the power system. Eskelsen said that fixed costs could be as high as $30 per month and that the proposed fee was only $4.65 because that was in line with what the Utah Division of Public Utilities and the Office of Consumer Services, both government entities, would support. Groups including HEAL Utah and the Alliance for Solar Choice questioned Rocky Mountain’s motives, suggesting the power company is trying to dissuade people from going solar to protect its business model and that utilities are using the state as a test case. “It’s a victory for clean air and clean energy, and a strong rebuke to Rocky Mountain Power, who once again showed themselves to be more concerned about protecting their dirty energy monopoly than the health and well-being of Utah’s families,” said Christopher Thomas, executive director of HEAL Utah. For Bryan Miller, Friday’s ruling was not so much a victory for the environment as for property rights and consumer choice. “This is by no means over. We applaud the commission for taking the reasonable step of having a transparent discussion,” Miller said. “The commission concluded doing a thoughtful cost-benefit study was the right approach. Transparency is the interest of all ratepayers.” Eskelsen said the conspiracy accusations are “overreaching” and said the company’s only motive was “to make sure that rates cover the costs of providing service.” Net metered customers bank credit for the excess power they generate and pump into the grid, then redeem the credit at those times of day when their solar panels can’t meet their electrical needs.

Utilities Balk As Customers Embrace Rooftop Solar

The cost of solar is falling rapidly – down 60 percent since 2011. These days, solar is not only good for the environment; it's becoming more of a smart financial move for households and communities. "Since 2006, solar installations in the United States have increased by 1600-percent, and the overall market is expected to grow by a factor of ten between 2010 and 2016." Utilities aren’t all happy about this trend. In fact, many are fighting against it. That’s because more customers putting solar panels up on their rooftops means utilities will be selling less power to them. Additionally, in most states, utilities are actually required to buy any excess power those customers produce beyond what they are using at any given time, through a system called net metering. "That’s a concern," said Xcel Energy Vice President of Policy and Staff Frank Prager. "That’s why we’re trying to address it today before it gets to be too big a concern." Xcel, and many other major utilities across the country, are members of an industry trade group called the Edison Electric Institute. In a 2013 report called "Disruptive Challenges," the institute said this trend – more customers selling electricity to the utility, rather than buying from them – is simply not a sustainable business model. Even though rooftop solar is such a small share of the nation’s overall electricity production at this stage (far less than one-half of 1 percent in most of the U.S.), EEI suggests the industry supports measures that would discourage more rooftop solar expansion. That’s happening around the country. For example, Arizona Public Service fought hard in 2013 to put in place fees on rooftop solar customers of between $50 and $100 per month. State regulators eventually agreed to a much smaller fee of about $5 per month. In Colorado, Xcel is asking the public utilities commission to cut the net metering credit with both sides of the issue sparring over solar's value. For Xcel, it’s meant a major ad campaign, advocating big fields of solar panels controlled by the utility, not by the customer. The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research studies how to bring more renewable power online. President Arjun Makhijani said utilities are entrenched, having traditionally relied on guaranteed rates of return. "They’re not used to new things coming along that would challenge this very comfortable state of affairs," Makhijani said. In Boulder, Colorado, Xcel's customers aren't falling on the utilities' side of status quo. "Xcel either changes to match technology or they're gonna get left behind," said resident Don Dugger while looking out at the new solar installation going up on his roof. The way he sees it, battery technology for storing solar is coming along fast enough. "We won’t need the grid at all!" Dugger said. While that may be far-fetched, changes are coming. Even as utilities try to fight rooftop solar, some are also preparing for its continued advance. Even Arizona Public Service, which fought so hard for those greater fees on solar customers, is jumping into the market itself. APS has announced a brand new program – leasing rooftop solar panels to their customers as an option to bring down electric bills.

Adams County, CO first county in nation to invest in community solar garden

The community solar model is quickly emerging as a viable and desirable source of renewable energy. Adams County, Co. is the next community to invest in the shared solar model, making it the first county in the nation to partner in a community solar garden. In 2010, the Colorado State legislature led the nation by passing the country's first Community Solar Gardens Act to allow customers who aren't able to put solar panels on their homes to buy solar energy from a solar array located in their community. Since then, 16 states from Minnesota to California have developed legislation creating their own community solar gardens programs. Denver-based SunShare, who already has more than 11 MW of community solar gardens built or under development in Colorado, is providing the garden for Adams County. SunShare has projects underway with Colorado Springs Utilities and Xcel Energy with the capacity to serve more than 2,200 homes. SunShare customers who buy a specific amount of energy from the solar garden receive a credit on their Colorado Springs Utilities or Xcel Energy bill.

These 10 States Are Leading the Way in Solar Power. What's Their Secret?

And what can the other 40 states learn from them? Solar power has made incredible progress here in the U.S. According to a new report from Environment America. In the last 10 years, solar panel capacity has increased more than 120-fold. In just 2011 to 2013 alone, solar power has tripled. Incredibly, 10 standout states are responsible for a big chunk of that growth. The Lighting the Way: The Top Ten States that Helped Drive America’s Solar Energy Boom in 2013 report notes that even though these 10 states account for only 26 percent of the U.S. population, they’re responsible for a whopping 87 percent of the county’s solar boom. The states deserving a standing ovation? Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and North Carolina, all of which are doing a massive part in helping the entire country curb its reliance on dirty (not to mention, increasingly expensive) fossil fuels by harnessing the power of the sun. MORE: This Man’s Seriously Bright Idea is Giving People the Ability to Create Power Anywhere Here are some of the most interesting points and lessons (highlighted in bold) from the Environment America report. Perhaps the states that didn’t make the cut should take note. - The report emphasizes that the most important factor of solar success is due to support from state and local governments, who have created policies that push for growth in renewables. For example, the report states that New Jersey has a target of obtaining 4.1 percent of its electricity from the sun by 2028. California has an extremely high renewable energy target — 33 percent — by 2020. - Speaking of California, the Golden State state is also expanding its battery storage technology so residents can rely on the sun’s power even after it sets, the report finds. - Several states in the top 10 also encourage small businesses and individual homeowners to go solar by paying them for the renewable energy they create. For instance, Hawaii’s feed-in tariff pays 21.8 cents per kilowatt-hour for small-scale residential solar projects, the report says. Clearly, it really does pay to be green. - Top-ranked Arizona has the highest solar electricity capacity per capita, with 275 watts of solar electricity capacity per resident — about seven times as much solar electricity capacity per person compared to the national average. So why is Arizona a solar success story? According to the report, the state was the first to require utilities to obtain a certain percentage of their electricity from solar energy. However, the Arizona Corporation Commission (the state’s utility regulator) recently voted to end tax incentives which could hurt businesses and residents who want to go solar, the report points out. - It’s no surprise that sun-spoiled western states rank near the top, but even small eastern states such as New Jersey, Massachusetts and Delaware have made the cut thanks to high electricity prices as well as public concern about pollution and clean energy. It’s clear that many Americans want a clean and efficient energy future, and these states are responding to the call. - North Carolina rounded out the top 10 due to its several large-scale solar energy installations by utilities, which shot the state’s solar capacity per-capita by more than 140 percent since 2012, the report says. The state also allows clean energy companies to compete utilities and lets consumers pick their energy supplier. ALSO: So Meta: Using the Power of the Sun to Create Solar Devices The big takeaway is that these states and their local governments have shown solid support and enacted polices that encourage and incentivize businesses, individuals and communities to make the switch to solar. With the Obama administration’s new limits on emissions, the whole country needs to do their part. Especially since the planet is only getting hotter. Luckily, they can look to these 10 states that are truly lighting the way. Read more: http://nationswell.com/solar-power-top-10-states/#ixzz3AIYFpHA9

Solar Capacity in Colorado Grew by 18 Percent in 2013

Yesterday, Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center released Lighting the Way: The Top Ten States that Helped Drive America’s Solar Energy Boom in 2013, showing strong solar growth across the nation including an 18% increase in Colorado in 2013. The report emphasizes that it is not availability of sunlight that makes states solar leaders, but the degree to which state and local governments have created effective public policy to help capture the virtually unlimited and pollution-free energy from the sun. Colorado’s progress on solar has helped fuel a tripling of solar energy nationwide between 2011 and 2013. In 2013, solar capacity in Colorado grew from 270 MW to 331 MW. “Solar energy is emerging as a go-to energy option here in Colorado and across the country,” said Charlotte Bromley, field organizer with Environment Colorado. “Thanks to the commitment of Colorado’s leaders, this pollution-free energy option is poised to play a major role in helping us meet our carbon emission reduction standards set by the Clean Power Plan.” Solar in the United States increased more than 120-fold in the last 10 years. In the first quarter of 2014, solar energy accounted for 74 percent of all the new electric generation capacity installed in the United States. Ten states with the most solar installed per/capita are driving 89% of the solar installed in the U.S, while, representing only 26 percent of the population and 20 percent of the electricity consumption. “We are so lucky to have so many fantastic days of the year where we have sun, it would be irresponsible if we didn’t take advantage of it,” said Representative Linda Newell, Colorado Senator for District 26. And as the solar industry grows, the cost for installed solar decreases, making it more accessible. The price of installed solar systems fell 60 percent between the beginning of 2011 and the end of 2013. Jobs in the solar industry are also growing rapidly. In 2013, there were more than 140,000 solar jobs in the U.S., including 3,600 in Colorado. “The solar industry provides more jobs than both the coal industry and the steel industry; that rate has grown over 50 percent since 2010 and is at a current rate of about 20 percent job growth per year which is ten times the national average” said Carly Rixham, Executive Director of the American Solar Energy Society. Another major driver for solar energy is that it produces no pollution; including climate-altering carbon emissions. According the report, solar power produces 96 percent less global warming pollution than coal-fired power plants over its entire life-cycle and 91 percent less global warming pollution than natural gas-fired power plants. “Colorado’s solar industry has grown up around favorable state policies so that we now have more than 230 companies providing 3,600 jobs in communities across our state,” said Rebecca Cantwell, Executive Director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association who joined Environment Colorado in the release of the report. “Since Colorado voters became the first in the nation to adopt a renewable energy standard, the solar industry has contributed about $1.5 billion in economic benefits. But this leadership position is threatened. Xcel Energy's attack on the critical solar policy of net metering must be stopped for our state to remain a solar leader.” “Moving towards a positive environment is also moving towards a positive economy, and it’s really important to remember that solar jobs in particular are good, clean jobs with livable wages, and those are the kind of jobs we need to see more of in Colorado” said Newell. Several strong policies adopted by the top 10 solar states, like Colorado, helped encourage homeowners and businesses to “go solar:” 9 states have strong net metering policies. In nearly all of the leading states, consumers are compensated at the full retail rate for the excess electricity they supply to the grid. 9 states have strong statewide interconnection policies. Good interconnection policies reduce the time and hassle required for individuals and companies to connect solar energy systems to the grid. All 10 states have renewable electricity standards that set minimum requirements for the share of a utility’s electricity that must come from renewable sources, and 8 of them have solar carve-outs that set specific targets for solar or other forms of clean, distributed electricity. 9 states allow for creative financing options such as third-party power purchase agreements, and 8 allow property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing. Here in Colorado solar progress is attributed to a number of programs, including Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, which requires investor-owned energy utilities to produce 30% renewable energy by 2020. “Colorado officials deserve tremendous credit for recognizing the environmental and economic benefits of solar and taking action to make it a reality,” said Bromley. “As more people see the benefits of solar energy, we’re confident clean, limitless energy from the sun will be a growing part of Colorado’s plan to reduce pollution from power plants.”

Xcel Energy: Swiftboating for Solar

Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest investor-owned utility, is attacking net metering once again. Rather than pay solar customers full, fair credit for the energy they put back into the grid, the company would undermine the solar market altogether. To protect its profits, the company is claiming solar is bad for the grid, despite having championed the industry in a former life. Xcel has been trying to cripple Coloradans' energy choices and the state's distributed solar market for years now. In 2011, the energy monopoly poured nearly $1 million into a campaign to stymy the city of Boulder's attempt to municipalize its utility grid - and failed. This past June, Xcel filed a lawsuit to try to block Boulder from implementing its successful municipalization measure. It was not always thus, however. In a simpler, less competitive time, Xcel championed incentive programs. This press release reveals a window into a time long past, when a clear-eyed young Xcel lauded the benefits of solar net metering to all ratepapers. Xcel once danced hand in hand with the Colorado voter down roads paved with solar panels, eager to comply with the state's renewable energy standard. Xcel's response to critics if net metering would impact non-solar ratepayers: Balderdash. As the Denver Post put it back in 2007: "Yet Xcel officials maintain that all customers benefit, because solar systems delay the need to build expensive power plants and reduced prospective future taxes on carbon emissions from fossil-fuel power." This same Xcel currently uses its resources to influence ballots, obfuscates wherever possible to skew data in its favor, and executes on the national utility playbook to stop the growth of rooftop solar. Xcel is helping lead the bandwagon in campaigns against net metering. So what has Xcel swiftboating on solar? Behind all of the company's actions is a thinly-veiled profit protection plan. When the solar market in Colorado was its alone, Xcel was happy to boast its support for rooftop solar growth. When there was no competition to hold Xcel accountable, it lauded the growth opportunities offered by net metering and the environmental benefits of local energy generation. As the nascent solar leasing industry began to pick up steam, however, Xcel changed its tune. This is not to say, however, that the company does not still fly its solar flag high. Lately, it has been sporting a new advertising campaign under the jazzy tagline "Doing Solar Right." Like many other corporations looking to make hay out of the environmental movement, Xcel has been greenwashing with gusto. The new image comes replete with chirpy narration, crisp graphics and opaque accolades. The mercurial utility is hedging. Unwilling to give the free market a chance to decide the best solar model, it would slash net metering credit and take the consumer's choice out of the equation. Thus far, energy consumers have pushed back against reactionary private utilities and preserved net metering in states across the country. Polling in Colorado shows that 78% of voters support net metering and disapprove of Xcel's roll-back of its own incentives programs. With the deck stacked against them like this, Xcel should keep in mind that the American public has typically been unkind to flip-floppers.

Xcel Flip Flop on Rooftop Solar Policy Net Metering

Last week in Denver, Coloradans packed into the Public Utilities Commission meeting rooms to support the cornerstone rooftop solar policy net metering. Meanwhile, a new finding shows that Xcel also knows the true benefits of net metering. A Denver Post article from 2007 says "Xcel officials maintain that all customers benefit because solar systems delay the need to build expensive power plants and reduce prospective future taxes on carbon emissions from fossil-fuel power." Xcel's current attacks on net metering are a flip-flop meant to protect the utility monopoly from competition. "Xcel supported net metering when it served their political purposes," said Bryan Miller, TASC President and Vice President of Public Policy for Sunrun. "Now that rooftop solar is a true form of competition, they oppose it." As indicated by the large turnout at last week's net metering panel, Coloradans will continue to stand strong for net metering. They support rooftop solar for Colorado's energy future, and don't want Xcel to succeed in stifling it. The Xcel flip flop affirms that their current opposition to net metering is a thinly-veiled profit protection plan.

EPA Holding Public Hearings on Carboon Emission Plan

DENVER—Hundreds of people will tell the Environmental Protection Agency what they think of proposed rules to cut pollution from power plants during public hearings Tuesday and Wednesday in Denver. With just five minutes each to make their case to the EPA, opponents and supporters also are staging rallies around the city. Besides Denver, the EPA is holding hearings this week in Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Washington on President Barack Obama’s plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2030, with 2005 levels as the starting point. The rules are intended to curb global warming. The Denver hearings are the only ones in the West, where the topic of air pollution traditionally sets off a loud debate over environmental values and economic vitality. Three of the top 10 coal-producing states are in the West — Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. Wyoming is No. 1, producing nearly 40 percent of the U.S. total and more than three times as much as West Virginia, the No. 2 state, according to the National Mining Association. Coal mines, electric utilities, labor unions, environmental groups, renewable energy companies, government agencies and religious and civil rights organizations are sending representatives to the Denver hearings. Mark Fix, a Montana rancher signed up to speak Tuesday, called the rules a “good step in the right direction.” He blames climate change for a tornado, flooding and other extreme weather he has witnessed on his ranch. “There’s things out there we need to develop — the hydro, the wind, the solar, a lot of the renewables,” Fix said Monday. Fix ranches southwest of Miles City, Montana, and is a member of the Northern Plains Resource Council. Jonathan Downing, executive director of the Wyoming Mining Association, plans to argue against the rules. “I think they need to go back to the drawing board,” Downing said Monday. “It takes time to develop those (anti-pollution) technologies and have conversions on power plants,” and U.S. competitiveness could suffer during the transition, he said. EPA technical experts will listen to the comments, and a transcript will go into the EPA record, agency spokeswoman Lisa McClain-Vanderpool said. The EPA plans to release the final rules next year. The agency expects 400 people to speak in Denver and a total of 1,600 in all four cities. Written comments will be accepted until Oct. 16. Former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman said hearing testimony can range from serious questions to political theater. “People ask some ridiculous ones, which means that they don’t care about the answer,” said Whitman, a former New Jersey governor who headed the EPA from January 2001 to June 2003. But the hearings are a legitimate part of the agency’s decision-making process, she said.

Government Report Forecasts Big Gains For U.S. Solar

The Solar Industries Association (SEIA) says a new U.S. federal study forecasts that solar energy will play a big role in the coming years. Citing a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), SEIA notes that the government agency predicts most new electric generation capacity in the U.S. through 2040 will come from natural gas and renewable energy. Of the 83 GW of renewable capacity additions being forecast, nearly half is expected to come from solar photovoltaic systems. “Solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy today - and, as this report bears out, it will continue to be for years and years to come,” says Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “The continued, rapid deployment of solar nationwide will create thousands of new American jobs, pump hundreds of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy and help to significantly reduce pollution. Just as importantly, it will also provide Americans with the freedom to decide how to power their homes, businesses, schools and government facilities in the future. “This report predicts that 60 percent of all new PV installations in the years ahead will be rooftop solar, creating significant savings when it comes to future energy costs,” continues Resch. “But this progress could be jeopardized if smart public policies, such as the solar investment tax credit (ITC), net energy metering and renewable portfolio standards, come under renewed attack by entrenched fossil fuel interests. “Of immediate concern, we are strongly urging Congress to adopt ‘commence construction’ language this year, allowing project developers to take full advantage of the highly-successful solar ITC and giving Americans access to new, affordable clean energy sources.” According to SEIA, applying the "commence construction" standard across the renewable energy sector would drive the installation of an additional 4 GW of solar capacity in 2017 and 2018.

Xcel Energy Offers Solar*Rewards 'Bridge' For Colorado Solar Installations

As part of its 2014 Renewable Energy Standard Plan, Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy subsidiary, filed a plan with the Colorado Public Service Commission (PUC) to add 36 MW of customer-sited solar capacity to its Solar*Rewards program. Xcel's Solar*Rewards offers customers incentives to install solar panels on their homes and businesses. The rebate program, which started in 2006, has helped to install more than 200 MW of capacity through 19,800 PV systems. The program has paid more than $297 million in incentives to Colorado customers. Solar*Rewards provides incentives across three tiers: the small program (for installations of less than 10 kW), the medium program (more that 25 kW but less than 500 kW) and the large program (for installations exceeding 500 kW). Since May 2013, Xcel Energy has been operating under a settlement that called for 33.6 MW of installed solar capacity. However, by June 2014, the capacity for the Solar*Rewards program had been exhausted. "We're looking at the options to keep the Solar*Rewards program open," says Robin Kittel, director of regulatory administration for Xcel Energy. "In order to re-open the plan, we have agreed to advance a certain amount of capacity." Under the agreement, Xcel has agreed to advance 4 MW per month - capped at 20 MW - for the small program and 7 MW for the medium program. Kittel says the agreement is intended to serve as a "bridge" until the PUC approves the utility’s 2014 plan that includes 24 MW of capacity for the small program and 12 MW of capacity for the medium program. Advancing capacity, she says, will keep pushing Colorado solar development forward. "It's the middle of July, and the solar industry has been clear that the stopping and starting [of policy] has hurt them," explains Kittel. "We recognize that the summer is a busy time." According to Kittel, a decision by the administrative law judge examining the case is expected sometime this month. However, a decision does not necessarily mean the matter is resolved. Kittel explains that once a decision is rendered, interested parties can file exceptions with the PUC. Therefore, she does not anticipate a final ruling for a few months at the earliest. This is not the first time that demand has exceeded supply. In 2012, for example, the allotment for the program sold out in 30 minutes. And to further illustrate the program’s popularity, Kittel says the 7 MW advanced from the medium program have already been exhausted.

Colorado and Denver Clean Edge Ranking

Clean Edge, a leading clean-tech research firm, released its 2014 U.S. Clean Tech Leadership Index today. The Index tracks the clean-tech activities of all 50 states and the 50 largest metro areas in the United States. Colorado is in fourth place among the 50 states, and Denver ranks tenth out of 50 American cities. The Index includes all clean energy activities from electric vehicles and renewables to patent and investment activity. Colorado placed a very close fourth with a score of 66.8, up one place from the 2013 Index. Strong renewable energy deployments and its performance in energy intelligence/green buildings helped it place fifth in Technology, but Colorado’s best category is a #4 rank in Capital. Golden is home to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory which is an increasingly vibrant ecosystem for clean-tech startups. The good news is that clean energy is gaining market share. Clean Edge points out that eleven states now generate more than 10 percent of their electricity from non-hydro renewable energy sources, with two states — Iowa and South Dakota — exceeding 25 percent. New solar installations climbed more than 40 percent year-over-year in the U.S. last year and registrations of all-electric vehicles more than doubled between the 2013 and 2014 indexes, to nearly 220,000 nationwide. The top 10 overall states in the 2014 State Index, ranked from one to ten are: California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Colorado, New York, New Mexico, Washington, Illinois, Vermont, and Connecticut. The top overall metropolitan areas, ranked from one to ten are: San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Portland, OR, Sacramento, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Austin, and Denver. Not surprisingly, four of the top ten cities were in California. What is somewhat surprising is that Austin ranks in the top ten given its location in the middle of oil country. Eight of the top 10 metro areas are located in the top four states. Clean Edge points out that over the past year, states and cities continued to be where most of the clean tech action is in the United States due to a total lack of action by Congress. Supportive policies and aggressive technology deployments from Connecticut to California have made clean-energy generation, in particular residential and commercial solar PV, increasingly a popular energy choice for mainstream America. “Climate disruption and the growing availability of market-competitive clean-energy technologies are driving many states and cities to tackle climate issues head-on,” Clean Edge founder and managing director Ron Pernick said in the release rolling out the new Index. “More than ever, this year’s Leadership Index highlights how some top regions are taking climate action seriously, with double-digit clean-energy adoption rates, new policies like California’s energy-storage mandate, and the deployment of clean-energy investment vehicles such as New York’s green bank.” “Net-zero building and energy-storage mandates and new public-private investment vehicles are just a few of the emerging policies that are dramatically shifting the energy landscape,” Clean Edge senior editor Clint Wilder said. “While there have been some regional attacks against clean-tech supportive policies, such as net metering and renewable portfolio standards, for the most part, the clean-tech industry and its allies have successfully fought off such efforts.”

Showdown looming for solar energy in Colorado

Xcel Energy has applied to the Public Utilities Commission for approval of a new voluntary program. The program would enable customers to offset their annual electric usage with solar energy, without installing a system of their own. It's called "Solar Connect," and it's modeled after the company's Windsource program that sells subscriptions for wind power. Under the proposal, Xcel would offer short-term solar subscriptions to customers for solar energy that would be generated from a new, large solar facility. The utility says the program is an alternative to onsite solar or community solar gardens. It looks like Xcel may be changing the game for solar energy in Colorado. A showdown may be looming between the utility and the rooftop solar crowd. The company has decided to take its solar segment to a new level, which may disappoint customers like The Johnson's of Centennial. They are sold on their rooftop solar array. Their electricity bill this month was only $8.25. If you combine that with their gas bill of $50.07, it comes out to a total of $58.72 for heat and light. Even when they add in the monthly cost of leasing their rooftop array, which is $87.72, they are still under $150 a month for energy. "We really wanted to put in solar years ago," Mary Johnson said. "So we're very pleased that we did it now, and we do get the benefits." The power meter on their house actually spins backwards, even on a cloudy day. It's an experience that continues to drive the rooftop solar industry in Colorado, which is very healthy. "There are over 150,000 solar jobs in the United States, and about 3600 of them are here in Colorado," said Blake Jones, President and CEO of Boulder's Namaste Solar. "It's a very large industry." Jones says with solar currently generating less than 1 percent of our electricity, the industry is just scratching the surface. But now comes a game changer. Xcel is building a massive $220 million dollar "utility-scale" solar system next to its Comanche Generating station in Pueblo. That's 450,000 solar panels on 990 acres. It will be large enough to supply energy to more than 30,000 homes. It's the largest solar project of its kind east of the Rocky Mountains. "The Comanche project is great because it's not only solar, and not only clean, but it is so low priced and so low cost, that we're actually able to save our customers money by having it on our system," said Xcel Vice President Frank Prager. The array will look much like this one in Lafayette, only dramatically bigger. The designers believe the power industry is making a move toward these larger utility scale projects, because by some estimates, they deliver more affordable power than thousands of rooftop arrays. Sam Sours of Community Energy designed the Lafayette array. He believes the larger scale projects will be the industry standard. "Yeah, if you look from the west, the California's, the Arizona's, the Nevada's, these larger solar scale projects have been slowly creeping their way east of the Rocky's," said Sours. Eric Blank, President of Community Energy, agreed. "When you get this scale, you can really drive down procurement cost and capital costs, so I think it's trending this way," Blank said. That could spell trouble for rooftop solar. Xcel is currently paying 11 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity generated by rooftop solar. If it decides to suspend those payments, under what is called its "net metering policy," the rooftop industry in Colorado will disappear. Namaste's Blake Jones agreed that could happen. "Yes, that's correct. I think that will be a very tragic day for the Colorado solar market, because without the foundation of that net metering policy, I think that our solar market could go away," Jones said. The Public Utilities Commission will evaluate rooftop solar at the end of 2014.

Wind and solar power ready to help states meet EPA rule

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issuing its first-ever rule limiting carbon pollution from existing power plants, many policymakers in Congress and state capitals are wondering: How can states meet the proposed standards most cost effectively? Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can get behind two affordable, reliable, and business-friendly solutions that are ready today – American wind and solar power. These sources of carbon-free electricity already foster economic development in all 50 states, creating jobs and benefitting rural and state economies by attracting new investment. In just three heartland states, Iowa, Kansas, and Colorado, wind power has grown to support 12,000 good-paying jobs and attracted nearly $20 billion in capital investment. In total, American wind power attracts up to $25 billion a year in private investment into our economy and supports over 50,000 jobs. More than 560 factories in 43 states make wind energy components. Last year, $13.7 billion was invested in solar nationwide – making it the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in the United States, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all new electric generation capacity installed in 2013. And across the U.S, 143,000 Americans are at work every day at more than 6,100 solar businesses. Both technologies are experiencing rapid price declines, and those savings are passed onto consumers. The American-made taller towers, longer blades and improved gearboxes, and over 30 years of experience in the field have helped drive down wind costs. According to the Department of Energy, the cost of energy generated by wind has dropped 43 percent in just four years. When the Midwest utility system operator (MISO) recently reached the milestone of supplying more than 25 percent of its momentary electricity demand from wind, it noted that it’s “one of the fuel choices that helps us manage congestion on the system and ultimately helps keep prices low for our customers and the end-use consumer.” The cost of solar has plummeted, as well. The average price of a residential photovoltaic (PV) installation has also fallen 43 percent, by watt, since 2010. Utility-scale PV prices fell 61 percent in that same time period. That’s an incredible decline that has helped solar to consecutive record-breaking years. Utilities in states as diverse as Colorado, Minnesota and Texas have all recently chosen solar as a cost-competitive source of new generating capacity, diversifying their energy mix – as demonstrated on March 8, 2014, when solar provided a record 18 percent of California’s 22,700 MW demand. Unlike many traditional sources of energy, wind and solar emit no air or water pollution, and create no hazardous waste. Electricity generation is the largest industrial source of carbon emissions in the U.S. The EPA’s proposed rule is an opportunity for the U.S. to again be the leader that the rest of the world can follow. We’re already on our way. Zero-emission wind power avoids enough carbon pollution every year to take the equivalent of 20 million cars off the road. More than 10 states are already reducing carbon emissions by 10 percent or more from wind energy alone (California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington state). And, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, obtaining 30 percent of the U.S. electricity needs with wind power will cut U.S. power sector emissions 37 percent. Solar currently installed in the U.S. is already generating enough pollution-free electricity to displace 18 billion pounds of coal or 1.8 billion gallons of gasoline. That’s the equivalent of removing 3.5 million cars off our roads and highways. Regulators looking to meet their states’ changing needs find solar energy to be reliable, cost-competitive, environmentally friendly, and easily scalable, fitting the needs of the state implementation plans soon to be necessary for meeting the EPA’s Section 111(d) carbon pollution standard. Some members of Congress worry we could hurt our economy by working to meet the EPA’s proposed standards. They may not have heard the good news about these newly affordable solutions at hand. While there’s no single solution to meeting the much-needed goal of reducing carbon emissions, wind and solar power are two of the biggest, fastest, and most cost-effective ways to meet the EPA’s proposed rule. Governors all across the country already know how they grow economies and create jobs – and a strong majority of Americans support scaling up these clean, homegrown energy sources. That’s why we urge all members of Congress to look to wind and solar power as leading solutions to help meet America’s future energy needs.

Meeting renewable energy targets turns out to be inexpensive

It turns out that adding renewable energy to the electricity generation mix doesn’t end up costing all that much, in at least one case it has even saved money. In Colorado the cost came to less than a penny per kilowatt-hour in 2012. Among the 24 states with renewable portfolio standards that were analyzed, the cost of complying between 2010 and 2012 was equal on average, roughly 1 percent of retail electricity rates, according to study by two national laboratories. The average additional cost in 2012 for renewable energy came to about 2 cents for each kilowatt-hour. Oregon saw and slight decrease in costs as renewables replaced more expensive generation. Wisconsin had the biggest incremental cost, about 4.4 cents per kilowatt-hour. The study was done by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif. “The cost is fairly modest, though not insignificant,” said Galen Barbose, one of the study’s co-authors and a Lawrence Berkeley researcher. There has been upward pressure on the cost of compliance as renewable-energy targets are raised and more renewable sources are added, Barbose said. In Colorado that compliance cost roughly doubled between 2010 and 2012. But since most states, including Colorado, cap the rate impacts of renewable energy the pressure likely will not translate to higher bills. In Colorado, the cost to customers is capped at 2 percent of a residential bill. This Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment raises money to cover the above market cost of renewable-energy sources. Most of the money has gone into the Solar Rewards program for residential and small business rooftop solar installations. Since 2006, Xcel Energy has offered incentives for residential and small commercial solar installations under the Solar Rewards program. The program has provided more than $276 million in incentives to Colorado customers and installed nearly 17,800 photovoltaic systems, the company said. Solar Rewards has, however, run up a $42 million deficit that the Colorado Public Utilities Commission has pressed Xcel to reduce. The utility did away with rebates and trimmed the incentives for solar systems. It now offers a credit for of 3 cents for each kilowatt-hour generated by home solar panels, down from 9 cents in 2012 and the utility anticipates soon erasing the deficit. At the same time, the cost of solar installations has dropped from $9 a kilowatt to less than $4 a kilowatt — with Colorado having just about the lowest installation cost in the country, according to another Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study. As a result of the deficit, Colorado actually spent 3 percent of sales on Solar Rewards, in effect surpassing the cap, even though it did not appear on customers’ bills. There were two drivers in Colorado’s higher renewable-energy costs, the study said. First are the higher renewable-energy targets the state set. Colorado’s investor-owned utilities must get 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Only California, with a 33 percent standard, is higher. “The state’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, attained renewable procurement levels equal to 15 percent to 22 percent of retail sales over the 2010-2012 period compared to renewables procurement levels of 5-10 percent in most of the other states,” the study said. The second driver is a requirement that portion of the target be met with roof-top solar, or distributed generation, which is more expensive than some other renewable sources, such as wind. “Part of that it is an accounting issue,” Barbose said. “The cost for distributed generation has been heavily front-loaded with rebates and incentives, but once the system are up, there is less cost.” Even with all that, Colorado costs for meeting the renewable standard were relatively modest. Twenty-four utilities in eight states put a surcharge on customers’ bills, which in 2012 averaged $1.99, according to the study. The Xcel charge on a Colorado customer’s bill was $1.44, putting it in 16th place. The highest surcharge was by Citizens Electric & Gas in Arizona at $4.50. The lowest was Indiana Michigan Power at 7 cents. “The takeaways from the study that the costs for meeting the standards have been pretty modest,” Barbose said. “But going forward meeting the targets will put pressure on compliance costs, but most state’s have some kind of cost containment that will blunt that upward pressure.”

Key Details of E.P.A. Carbon Emissions Proposal

WASHINGTON — A rule proposed by the Enivironmental Protection Agency would cut carbon pollution from power plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 – the equivalent, according to the agency, of taking two-thirds of all cars and trucks in America off the road. Here are some things to know about the rule: • The E.P.A. expects that under the regulation, 30 percent of electricity in the United States will still come from coal by 2030, down from about 40 percent today. • The E.P.A. estimates that the rule will cost the economy $7.3 billion to $8.8 billion annually, but will lead to benefits of $55 billion to $93 billion, primarily by preventing premature deaths and mitigating respiratory diseases. • Critics complain that the rule will drive up electricity costs, but the agency forecasts that the rule will increase energy efficiency across the power sector, leading to lower electricity bills when the program is fully implemented in 2030. • The rule will not, on its own, lower greenhouse gas pollution enough to prevent catastrophic effects of climate change. But, in combination with other regulations, it would allow the United States to meet its commitment to the United Nations to cut carbon pollution 17 percent by 2020 and press other major polluting countries, particularly China and India, to follow suit. • The draft proposal is just the beginning of the process to cut emissions. The agency will now take public comment and spend the next year completing the proposal before releasing the final rule in June 2015. States will then be given another year to submit compliance plans, or apply for an extension. • The rule is not an executive order. Under the Clean Air Act, the E.P.A. is required to regulate any substance defined as a pollutant, which the law defined as substances that endanger human life and health. A 2007 Supreme Court decision led to an E.P.A. determination that carbon dioxide is a pollutant, thus requiring that the agency regulate it or be in violation of the law.