Energy Manager Today - May 25 A multi-state, regional electric market would provide environmental and economic benefits to California and the West – and would yield as much as $1.5 billion in cost savings annually to the state’s electricity ratepayers by 2030 – according to preliminary study results released on May 20 by the California Independent System Operator (CAL-ISO). The preliminary study results found that an expanded regional energy market would reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions by 8 to 10 percent of the total for the electric sector in 2030; reduce impacts of the electricity sector on land and water resources; create between 9,900 and 19,400 new jobs by 2030 in the state, primarily stemming from lower energy rates; and increase household incomes by $300 to $550 annually in 2030 due to lower energy costs. As directed in SB 350, the studies examined impacts of participation by 31 balancing authority areas in the U.S., including Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
OC Register - May 23 Orange County is one of the most solar-ready regions in the country, according to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Mission Viejo topped a list of 47 cities studied, with rooftops capable of generating 88 percent of the city’s electricity consumption. Since apartments make up just 15 percent of the city’s housing, roughly half the state average, Mission Viejo has a very high proportion of rooftop per resident, and a lot of space for solar panels, according to the report. But Mission Viejo isn’t unique in Orange County. It was just the local city that researchers happened to study. Researchers said the characteristics that make Mission Viejo a potential solar hub are found throughout the county.
PV-Tech - May 24 According to a new report published under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Path to SunShot series by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, solar power could deliver $400 billion in environmental and public health benefits throughout the U.S. by 2050. The report focuses on the financial benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution-related diseases, and water usage under high-penetration solar forecasts.
Las Vegas Review-Journal - May 23 Two separate reports released on May 23, 2016, one from the Brookings Institution and the other from SolarCity and the Natural Resources Defense Council, both conclude that net metering is a benefit to all utility ratepayers. The Brookings report uses evidence from other states to evaluate the ongoing dispute in Nevada that net metering payments to rooftop solar customers represent an unfair cost shift to other ratepayers. The second report concludes that rooftop solar provides a net benefit of $7 million to $14 million per year to all Nevadans whether they have solar or not. The higher $14 million figure includes what the study says are conservative estimates for environmental and health-related benefits.
Renewable Energy World - May 25 San Francisco-based Spruce Finance Inc., a solar-financing company backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers LLC, arranged $120 million in debt for rooftop solar systems in the U.S. The company’s first syndicated loan was led by Investec Plc. Spruce was formed by the January merger between Clean Power Finance Inc. and Kilowatt Financial LLC, another Kleiner Perkins-backed solar financing company. It offers financing for residential solar, water-conservation upgrades, and energy efficiency projects
Los Angeles Times - May 25 A new wave of natural gas power plants planned for Southern California has stoked a high-stakes debate about how best to keep the lights on throughout the region. Green groups believe renewable energy has received short shrift by utilities proposing these facilities from Carlsbad to Oxnard. But operators of the state’s electrical grid have warned that maintaining a stable power supply requires a delicate mix of energy sources, including fossil fuels. The biggest showdown of late centers on an envisioned gas-fired facility in seaside Carlsbad, which advocates of renewable energy are trying to block. If a state appellate court agrees to hear the case, the granting of judicial review could encourage similar challenges against at least four other projects in Southern California. If the court denies the request for review, it would help cement the construction of fossil fuel power plants slated to operate for decades.
Solar Industry Magazine - May 25 Less than a week after a small fire occurred at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, NRG Energy, the solar thermal project’s operator and majority owner, has concluded its investigation into the incident. Although an official from a local fire department told the Associated Press last week that “misaligned mirrors” caused the fire, NRG Energy wanted to complete a full assessment before offering a similar explanation. With the investigation concluded, he says NRG expects to have the Unit 3 tower back online within the next three weeks. However, the 392-megawatt Ivanpah plant is currently running at about one-third of its capacity, as another of the project’s towers, Unit 2, is also offline for maintenance unrelated to the fire incident.
Sacramento Business Journal - May 24 Workers on Tuesday began installing a $2.5 million solar photovoltaic array on the roof of Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The rooftop array will include 3,400 panels and provide up to 15 percent of the arena’s power. The array will help the Sacramento Kings meet ambitious goals for running the arena entirely on solar power. In addition to the rooftop array, the Sacramento Kings in October entered a 20-year purchase contract with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District to buy electricity from a local solar farm for the rest of the building's power needs.
