Leading solar states have more than just sunlight

August 7, 2014 | By

Solar growth across the nation has been strong, with New York setting a particularly impressive example -- 30 percent in 2013 -- according to a report conducted by Frontier Group for Environment New York Research & Policy Center. New York's progress on solar has helped fuel a tripling of solar energy nationwide between 2011 and 2013, growing statewide from 175 MW to 250 MW.

It is not the 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 almost unlimited and clean energy from the sun, the report contends.

Solar in the United States increased more than 120-fold in the last 10 years, according to the report. As the solar industry grows, the cost for installation decreases, making it more accessible. The price of installed solar systems fell 60 percent between the beginning of 2011 and the end of 2013.

In the first quarter of 2014, solar energy accounted for 74 percent of all the new electric generation capacity installed in the United States. The 10 states with the most solar installed per capita drove 89 percent of the solar installed -- while representing only 26 percent of the population and 20 percent of the electricity consumption -- according to Frontier Group.

Several policies adopted by the top 10 solar states are encouraging adoption by homeowners and businesses. For example:

These states have strong net metering policies where consumers are compensated at the full retail rate for the excess electricity they supply to the grid.

Good interconnection policies reduce the time and inconvenience required for consumers 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; eight states have solar carve-outs that set specific targets for solar or other forms of clean, distributed electricity.

Creative financing options such as third-party power purchase agreements property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing are made available.

For more:
- see the report

 

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