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Georgia

Is there anything better than a sweet Georgia peach? What about a sweet Georgia peach grown using a solar powered farm? Every day that idea is becoming more of a reality. ‘The Empire State of the South’ was one of the first states analyzed by CEA in 2016 through the Incentivizing Solar Energy: An In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Solar Incentives report. As the renewable energy industry is continuously growing, there are new initiatives and efforts being made to make solar technology more affordable and available to the consumer.

Executive Summary

2018 Solar Report

There are over 270 solar companies in the state of Georgia providing energy consumers with renewable energy sources.

First Solar is slated to begin work on building the largest solar power plant in the southeast, a 200 MW project near Warner Robins, Georgia.

18 miles of highway in Georgia is said to be the world’s first sustainable highway project. The I-85 visitor center in West Point has a solar-powered charging station, a solar paved roadway, and a tire pressure system to improve road safety.

Solar Energy News

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Current and Recent Initiatives
  • Georgia Does Not Require Utilities to Offer Net Metering TariffsThrough the Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Schedule, Georgia Power Company offers customers the option of selling produced energy. Georgia Power Company now pays customers $0.035 per kilowatt-hour. Previously customers were paid $0.0401 per kilowatt-hour.
  • Corporate Demand for Renewable Energy Grows in Georgia
    To meet the increasing demand by corporations for renewable energy, Georgia Power has launched an initiative to supply solar power directly to commercial and industrial customers in the state. The solar initiative, which was approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission, would mean supplying 177 megawatts of power from solar plants directly to Google, Johnson and Johnson, Target and Walmart.

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State Executive Summary

2018 Solar Report

The Sunshine State ranks 5th among the state for highest amount of solar jobs.

More than 8,500 people support their families in Florida thanks to the solar industry.

This year, Florida Power and Light plans to install 2.5 million panels at eight new solar energy centers located around the state.

Florida holds 10th in state rankings for installed solar capacity.

Solar Energy News

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Current and Recent Initiatives
  • Florida Solar’s Complex History Explained
    In April 2018, Florida scored what’s being called a “game-changing” victory in the solar energy space. The Florida Public Service Commission voted to allow SunRun to sell its home solar lease product in the state. The vote allows energy consumers to make an even wider variety of choices when choosing energy providers. Toni Perfetti, who led a ballot initiative to expand solar choice several years ago says it’s a, “game changing moment for energy options for its consumers.
  • Solar Powered Homes in Florida Are Worth More
    According to Solar Energy Rocks, installing solar panels on your roof could increase its value up to 20 times your annual energy bill. Even better, the state has been willing to exempt that value from additional property taxes. Is solar the right choice? It’s up to you, the consumer!

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Executive Summary

2018 Solar Report

According to The Solar Foundation, the Connecticut Green Bank’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program has closed on more than 200 solar projects. This represents more than $114 million in solar and energy efficiency upgrades for the state’s businesses.

24% of the state’s energy comes from solar.

Prices on solar in Connecticut have fallen 53% in the last five years.

Solar Energy News

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Current and Recent Initiatives
  • Senate Bill 952 – Certain Solar Energy Projects
    Concerns certain solar energy projects, creates solar energy storage goals, increase the virtual net metering cap, permit ownership of solar power generation facilities by electric distribution companies, and direct the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to investigate solar energy development programs.

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State Executive Summary

2018 Solar Report

Colorado ranks 12th in the nation for most installed solar capacity and 9th for most amount of solar industry jobs.

According to The Solar Foundation, Colorado generates enough solar to power nearly 200,000 homes and 104 K-12 schools.

The majority of solar related jobs in the state are available in the ‘Mile High City’, Denver.

Solar Energy News

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Current and Recent Initiatives
  • Colorado Springs Utilities Signs Solar Energy Project Contracts
    The Palmer Solar Project and Grazing Yak Project have the green light to begin construction in El Paso County. When brought online, will generate enough power to run 30,000 households in Colorado by 2020. These two projects will sell energy produced to Colorado Springs Utilities to produce clean, renewable electricity for families in the state.
  • Colorado Governor Signs Energy Storage Legislation into Law
    In March, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper signed energy storage legislation into law that will help the state’s solar market and job growth.  SB 9 allows Colorado residents to choose specifically where their energy comes from and where they can store it without restrictions.

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Executive Summary

2018 Solar Report

Over the past five years, the price for solar installations in California has declined by 64%.

California holds 1st place for state with the most solar jobs. There are over 86,000 people supporting themselves and their families thanks to the solar industry.

On March 4th, 2018, the peak percentage of solar energy on California’s grid hit an all-time record of 50%.

There is enough solar in California to power over 5.5 million homes.

Solar Energy News

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Current and Recent Initiatives
  • Senate Bill 617 – Residential Solar Energy Systems: Permitting
    Requires every city and county to implement an online, automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and instantaneously issues permits for a solar energy system and an energy storage system meeting certain requirements paired with a solar energy system, as specified. Requires a city or county to amend a certain ordinance to authorize a residential solar energy system and an energy storage system to use the platform. Prescribes a compliance schedule for satisfying these requirements.
  • California Becomes First State to Require Solar on Almost All New Homes
    A new building standard approved by all five members of the California Energy Commission states that most new units built after Jan. 1, 2020 will be required to include solar systems. This move represents the state’s latest initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although a boost for the solar industry, critics warn that it will also drive up the cost of buying a home by nearly $10,000.
  • Sunny California Generates ‘Too Much’ Solar
    California is cooling down for a bit in the solar industry. In January, February, and March of this year, California produced so much solar that it paid Arizona to take excess electricity to avoid overloading its own power lines. Since the overproduction, the Golden State has taken a step back from major solar production and powered down many panels.
  • Solar Power Nonprofit Installs 9,800 New Systems in California
    GRID Alternatives, a solar power nonprofit, is celebrating the 9,800 California solar power systems installed for low-income families. It is estimated that the systems will save families roughly $280 million in energy costs over a 20-year period. With its first installation in 2004, GRID has accomplished this feat in just 14 years. GRID is hoping to move its solar project to states surrounding California soon.

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Executive Summary

2018 Solar Report

Before work began on the ‘Stuttgart Solar Energy Center’, there were only 284 people working in the solar industry in Arkansas. That number doubled thanks to construction efforts necessary to build the center.

Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, has a goal of supplying 100% of its power from solar and other renewables by 2025 according to The Solar Foundation.

Solar Energy News

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Current and Recent Initiatives
  • Arkansas Unveils Largest Solar Project in the State
    Earlier this year, celebrations were taking place in Stuttgart, Arkansas to cheer on the commissioning of Arkansas’ largest universal solar energy project. NextEra Energy and Entergy Arkansas have joined forces to create the ‘Stuttgart Solar Energy Center.’ After eight months of construction, the center now spans 475 acres. The project created hundreds of construction jobs and used goods and services from local vendors. With 350,000 PV panels at work daily, the sun’s energy will be converted into electricity to power more than 13,000 homes. In addition, over its operational life, the center is expected to generate nearly $8 million in addition revenue, with much of the funding going to help Arkansas County Public Schools. Talk about giving back!
  • Net Metering Rate Change on the Horizon for Arkansas
    The filing period for Act 827 of 2015 came to a close in March. The Act orders a revision of the 1-to-1 net metering ration. This means that utilities would now be able to purchase the excess generation at a wholesale price. There is much debate as to the effect of this bill as some worry that the move would discourage individuals from investing in solar.
POLICY RESOURCES

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State Executive Summary

2018 Solar Report

According to the Solar Foundation, Arizona saw an increase of 14% solar growth in 2017.

The Grand Canyon State has nearly 8,400 solar jobs, creating a source of income for families.

Third-party solar power purchase agreements are not legal in Arizona. This means the installation cost is a bit higher, yet Arizona still ranks third in the nation for solar.

Solar Energy News

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Current and Recent Initiatives
  • Arizona’s Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Residents with Solar Leases
    In March 2018, the highest court in Arizona ruled that customers who lease rooftop solar panels are exempt from paying some property taxes. This ruling also saves residential solar installers who own the systems millions in potential taxes. Residents of the sunny state now have more expanded freedoms to choose clean energy.
  • Ballot Initiative in Arizona requires 50% Renewable Energy by 2030
    The Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona Committee has created a ballot initiative requiring that 50% of Arizona’s annual retail sales of electricity come from renewable energy sources by 2030, 10% of this being from solar. So far, the initiative has over 480,000 signatures from state residents.
  • Renewable Energy Standard & Tariff (REST)
    In 2006, Arizona approved the REST, which requires all electric utilities to generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025. REST requires utilities to file annual implementation reports that highlight how they plan to achieve their generation goals. These reports include incentives for customers who install solar energy technologies in their homes and businesses.
  • Decision in Tucson Electric/UNS Solar Rate Case Delayed
    A net metering rate amendment is alive and well in Arizona. If approved, the new order would set initial export rates at 9.64 cents per kilowatt hour for Tucson Energy and 11.5 cents for UNS, locked in for 10 years for each customer and decreasing up to 10 percent annually. Currently, Tucson Energy customers are credited for excess solar production at the full retail rate of about 11 cents per kWh.

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CEA’s Chris Ventura discusses the incentives available for solar energy installations to Michigan’s energy consumers and the importance of reassessing state policies to ensure a sustainable future for solar power generation.
With the state projected to add over 800,000 more residents over the next three decades, plus new businesses with more employment opportunities, Michigan will need to maintain a modern and flexible, affordable electricity mix to ensure it can meet growing demand — which is why it’s paramount policymakers reassess policies and incentives that align with ever-changing market conditions.
Read more – Crain’s Detroit Business
CEA’s Brydon Ross recently discussed the importance of creating policies which ensure a sustainable future for solar energy in New Hampshire.
Nationally, solar generation grew over 40 percent between 2016 and 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy says. It was also the nation’s largest source of new power generation to come online in the first quarter of 2018. Since 2011, prices for solar installations alone have gone down some 70 percent. A recent analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that prices for utility-scale PV systems fell 30 percent in early 2017 from the previous year.
Read more – New Hampshire Business Review
Brydon Ross, Vice President of State Affairs, was featured in Real Clear Energy discussing CEA’s most recent solar energy report.
Many state lawmakers and utility commissions nationwide are reexamining their current regulatory frameworks accordingly. CEA has a new analysis that quantifies incentives in 25 states to help policymakers make informed decisions about what works best. We concluded that while incentive structures vary significantly across the country, owners in all but five of the states studied received at least 75 percent of their solar system costs back from financial incentives under a standard rate structure. On average, residential solar PV systems received between 104 percent and 140 percent of the system costs back in incentives. By comparison, utility-scale solar installations only received about 45 percent of total system costs in incentives.
Read more – Real Clear Energy
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