California's community solar program is designed to benefit customers, developers, workers and the overall power system at the same time.

California embraces a new approach to community solar

Community solar is a way to allow people who don’t have access to a roof that is suitable for solar panels to take part in the world of renewable energy. That includes renters, co-op and condo owners, and homeowners whose roof faces the wrong way or is shaded by trees.

Let’s be clear. As a general rule, utility companies take a dim view of rooftop solar, community solar, or any other idea that involves someone other than themselves generating electricity on their own. That’s why government policies are needed to diminish the power imbalance between utility companies and consumers.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Over the weekend, Newsom signed Senate Bill 1340 into law, which extends the tax exclusion for installing a new active solar energy system.

California extends sunset on property tax exclusion for active solar energy systems

A new California law extends the sunset on an existing property tax exclusion for newly constructed active solar energy systems by two years, a measure that Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged has a “direct impact” on property tax revenues for local governments.

Over the weekend, Newsom signed Senate Bill 1340 into law, which extends the tax exclusion for installing a new active solar energy system. Under current law, installing a solar energy system does not result in an “increase or decrease in the assessment of the existing property, unlike other physical additions,” according to a bill analysis.

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Source: The Center Square

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Michael Popp and Yi Liang developed an online decision support software tool to help growers assess whether solar is feasible for their farms

Researchers developing tool to help poultry producers realize full value of solar technology

Poultry producers considering use of renewable energy in their operations will have a free tool this fall to help them determine whether solar is right for them.

Yi Liang, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering and a researcher in the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, conducted solar energy research in 2021 on an Arkansas poultry production operation and found it offered significant savings.

The poultry grower saved more than 90 percent off his annual electricity expense, Liang said. He paid only account charges — between $15 and $25 per month — in 11 out of 12 months of utility bills in 2021.

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Source: University of Arkansas News

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More than 8,400 public and private schools serving 6 million students are now using solar power generating significant cost savings.

Nearly 1 in 10 US schools now using solar power

Thousands of schools across the U.S. are beginning to make the switch to solar power, generating significant cost savings and helping them meet their hefty energy needs, a new report has found.

More than 8,400 public and private schools serving 6 million students — or about 1 in 10 institutions nationwide — are now using solar power, according to the report from the nonprofit Generation180.

Since 2015, the number of solar panels installed at the country’s K-12 schools has tripled, while the number of schools that use solar has doubled, the report found.

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Source: The Hill

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The Solar Access Act bill implements instant, online solar permitting in cities and counties in California.

California cities and counties now required to switch to instant, online residential solar permitting by 2024

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s legislation, SB 379, the Solar Access Act, passed both houses of California’s legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The bill implements instant, online solar permitting in cities and counties. This legislation will greatly decrease approval times for residential solar and solar + storage systems, cut permitting costs for local governments and homeowners and help California meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. SB 379 is co-sponsored by SPUR and Environment California. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) is a coauthor of the bill.

Climate change is a dire threat, and California must accelerate its transition to clean energy in order to meet its target to become carbon neutral by 2045. Widespread installation of residential solar systems has helped push California towards these goals. However, while the cost of solar technology has decreased in recent years, the high costs associated with installation — including local permitting and inspection requirements — have remained prohibitive for many. Delays due to long permit and inspection wait times also hurt solar implementation across the state. Automated permitting solves both of these issues; the Solar Access Act will allow California to implement a timely and comprehensive solution.

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Source: Solar Power World

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills aimed at moving away from reliance on fossil fuel-based energy

California governor signs sweeping climate legislation

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of bills Friday to expand California’s reliance on clean energy and reduce carbon emissions, moves he said further establish the state as a global climate leader.

The new laws include proposals aimed at reducing exposure to gas and oil pollution in communities of color, expanding clean energy jobs and accelerating the state’s timeline for getting most of its electricity from renewable energy sources. Newsom signed them following a record-breaking heat wave that forced California to rely more heavily on natural gas for its electricity production.

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Source: ABC News

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The IRA is going to transform America’s energy economy, and the forecasts show a wave of clean energy and manufacturing investments

US Solar installs to get 40% boost on climate law, report says

President Joe Biden’s sweeping climate legislation is expected to boost US solar installation, but lingering bottlenecks in the global supply chain and trade issues mean most gains won’t be realized until 2024.

Clean-energy developers are forecast to install more than 215 gigawatts of solar panels during the next five years, according to a report published Thursday from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie. That’s 40% more than the Washington-based trade group expected without the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate-friendly bill signed into law last month.

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Source: Bloomberg

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Community solar project developers say more generous tax credits under the new climate law will help them make a big push using tax credits.

Community solar developers see sunny opportunity in tax credits

Low-income areas and communities of color have felt left on the sidelines as homeowners reaped the benefits of rooftop solar panels and electric vehicles helped along by federal and state tax credits.

But community solar project developers say more generous tax credits under the new climate law will help them make a big push into those communities, using tax credits that can run as high as 50% for renewable energy installations.

The increased credit means developers can expand outreach and education efforts, increase hiring, and leverage other Biden administration actions—including changes to federal energy assistance known as LIHEAP—to drive down energy costs for underserved communities, including those in subsidized housing.

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Source: Bloomberg Law

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Last week, California’s power grid was strained to the limit in the midst of a searing heat wave but was saved by their consumers.

Opinion: Californians saved the grid again. They should be paid more for it

Last week, for the second time in three years, California’s power grid was strained to the limit by record-high demand in the midst of a searing heat wave. But just like they did during the state’s grid emergencies of 2020, California consumers came to the rescue.

At around 5:45 p.m. on September 6, as state grid operator CAISO was preparing to initiate rolling blackouts to stave off grid collapse, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services issued a statewide text message alert asking people to ​“conserve energy now to protect public health and safety.” Over the next half an hour or so, demand dropped more than 2,000 megawatts below its record-setting peak of just over 52,000 megawatts.

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Source: Canary Media

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USC-LADWP will provide a quarter of USC’s electricity with power from a solar farm in Mojave and will contribute to new solar programs.

USC-LADWP agreement taps into offsite solar power

USC will obtain 25% of its electricity from solar-generated power and contribute to new solar programs that expand opportunities for disadvantaged communities to access affordable clean energy — all under a new agreement with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

ear agreement approved by the L.A. City Council on Wednesday will help USC meet its goals in reducing carbon-based energy consumption. In addition, the university will become the first L.A. institution to contribute to Los Angeles DWP’s Clean Energy Adder program, which will make renewable energy more accessible and affordable for residents in multifamily dwellings, including those surrounding USC’s campuses.

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Source: USC News

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