Renewable Energy Focus
Solar Industry - Jan 28 In a 3-2 vote this morning, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued its long-awaited final vote on the state’s next phase of net-metering program, determining how much rooftop solar customers get paid for selling their excess clean energy. The CPUC adopted a proposal that would continue a robust net metering policy, requiring utilities to pay rooftop solar customers the full retail rate for electricity they put onto the grid. Although the new rooftop solar tariff includes the addition of some new charges and other changes for rooftop generators, the solar industry has hailed the ruling a success. The state’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) had opposed the new program, calling it an unfair subsidy, and had proposed a less generous alternative payment structure.
The Hill - Jan 25 The Supreme Court sided with federal regulators Monday, upholding a rule meant to incentivize efforts to reduce electricity demand. The court ruled that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) did not exceed the authority Congress gave it when it wrote its “demand response” rule, mandating that electric utilities pay customers to reduce use during peak demand periods. FERC’s authority only extends to wholesale power markets; the agency cannot regulate retail power rates, and the Supreme Court said the regulation at issue fits both criteria, overturning a previous decision from the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Environmental groups had participated in the litigation to defend FERC, saying that demand response programs help clean energy sources like wind and solar thrive.
SolarServer - Jan 25 According to preliminary numbers from GTM Research, 59 gigawatts of solar photovoltaics (PV) were installed globally in 2015, a 34 percent increase over 2014’s total. GTM Research forecasts the cumulative worldwide PV generation capacity total to reach 321 gigawatts by the end of 2016. Investment Tax Credit extension to increase the U.S. share of expected global PV demand to 15 percent.
Reuters - Jan 25 California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on Monday asked all insurance companies doing business in the state to voluntarily divest from coal companies and said he will also require insurance companies to disclose their coal company holdings. Coal use by utility companies has plummeted amid low natural gas prices and new federal regulations aimed at curbing carbon emissions, a major contributor to climate change. Jones is the first state insurance regulator in the U.S. to call on insurance companies to divest from coal and the first to require insurance companies to disclose their investments.
ReNews - Jan 26 SolarCity Corp closed a $160 million five-year term facility, which will allow the company to recycle capital to continue growth and will offer power generated by solar energy systems to customers for less than they pay for utility bills at the time the customer contracts are signed. BofA Merrill Lynch acted as mandated lead arranger and sole bookrunner, and KeyBank and Silicon Valley Bank acted as joint lead arrangers on the transaction.
PR Newswire - Jan 22 Landmark Dividend LLC, one of the nation's leading ground lease acquisition companies, has completed the acquisition of 2,400 acres underlying a 50-megawatt wind farm in Tehachapi, California. The property is located in the Alta Wind Energy Center and underlies a project operated by NRG with a Southern California Edison power purchase agreement. The acquisition underscores Landmark Dividend's continued expansion in the renewable energy industry. The company reports that it intends to seek additional real estate acquisition opportunities for utility-scale renewable energy projects.
PV-Tech - Jan 28 Wells Fargo and 8point3 Energy Partners, the yieldco company formed by SunPower and First Solar, announced that a joint venture between the two companies has acquired 22 megawatts of SunPower PV systems under construction at 27 Kern High School District locations in Kern Country, California. As part of a power purchase agreement, Wells Fargo and 8point3 Energy Partners will sell off electricity to the district.
PennEnergy - Jan 26 EDF Renewable Energy has signed an agreement to supply Salesforce with 24 megawatts of wind energy from its Salt Fork Wind Project in Texas. The Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) advances Salesforce’s commitment to power 100 percent of its global operations with renewable energy.
