Top 10 Solar Utilities
June 6, 2013 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has released its sixth annual Top 10 Utility Solar Rankings Report. The sixth edition ranks utilities nationally and by utility type and includes more than 260 of the most solar-active utilities. This represents 96 percent of the U.S. solar electric power market based on the amount of new solar power interconnected by U.S. electric utilities. Utilities integrated almost 2.4 GW, or 2,384 MW, of solar capacity in 2012 -- surpassing 2,000 MW of capacity for the first time and growing the market share for large-scale solar projects by 160 percent from 2011, according to the report. Utilities purchased more than 1,000 MW of large-scale solar, mostly through power-purchase agreements. The wholesale utility market included more than 70 photovoltaic projects, including Pacific Gas & Electric's purchase of the largest solar PV project in the world. Net energy metering accounts for 99 percent of newly installed projects -- up 46 percent from 2011 -- with the most growth concentrated in just five states (California, Hawaii, Arizona, New Jersey and Colorado). Utilities interconnected nearly 90,000 projects totaling 1,151 MW last year. Eighty percent of current projects are centered in these five states. SEPA expects that net metering will continue to proliferate in 2013, with other states across the country entering the mix. In its megawatt rankings, SEPA ranked Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Public Service Electric & Gas as the top three followed in order by Arizona Public Service, NV Energy, Jersey Central Power & Light, Tucson Electric Power, Progress Carolinas, Sacramento Municipal Utility District and Hawaiian Electric Co. For more:
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