Solar News
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) declares that by 2016 we could see a thirty-fold increase in solar power production, to the tune of 60 billion kilowatt-hours of solar generation. SEPA says that this level of increased solar power deployment would lead to 440,000 permanent jobs, and over $230 billion in investment and associated economic benefits.
To accomplish this, SEPA states that the task will require collaboration between power utilities and the solar industry, where the utilities shoulder much of the burden, but also retain ownership of the generation facilities. SEPA envisions that the generation facillities would be distributed; in other words, panel setups on homes and businesses. In a position statement, SEPA outlines the four major policy challenges that need to be adopted to realize this feat. It’s a short read.
Also in solar news…
The US Congress has extended the Solar Credit for 8 years. The enhanced legislation will:
- Extend for 8 years the 30-percent tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations;
- Eliminate the $2,000 monetary cap for residential solar electric installations, creating a true 30-percent credit;
- Eliminate the prohibition on utilities from benefiting from the credit;
- Allow Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) filers, both businesses and families, to take the credit; and
- Authorize $800 million for clean energy bonds for renewable energy generating facilities, including solar.
Too bad we all can barely afford to put a solar battery charger on the windowsill. However, thanks to the credit, this may be what it takes to stimulate a renewable-energy economy. Heck…I may even look for a job installing panels.
However, thanks to the efforts by the Congress to provide tax credits that now extend to the utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced in Mid-August that they can now afford to proceed with an 800 Megawatt photovoltaic plan, building two facilities of 550 MW and 250 MW each in San Luis Obispo County. Covering 9.5 and 3.5 square miles respectively, these will be the largest utility-based photovoltaic generation facility. When complete, these plants will produce a combined 1.65 billion kilowatt-hours of solar electricity per year, enough to power 239,000 homes. Not too shabby.
