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Note from the Editor
State News in Detail
Miscellaneous News
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JUNE 2013
Vol. 16 No. 6

Note from the Editor

 

Integrated Distribution Planning: A Path to Sustaining Growth

 

For years, the cumulative amount of distributed generation (DG) on the grid was akin to a drop of water in a glass.  That is, a tiny drop in a big glass.  But look how far we've come in the past few years. Last year the U.S. installed more than 90,000 photovoltaic installations, with a total capacity of 3.3 GW. This represents an 80% increase over installations completed in 2011.  If we were to sustain this growth rate, we could expect to see close to 20 GW of solar installed in 2015. 

 
This is great news for distributed generation industries, but how do we plan for that kind of growth? In highly active DG states, we are already seeing stalled DG development, as distribution circuits surpass the ubiquitous 15% penetration level that serves as a review checkpoint in most state interconnection procedures. As a result, it's becoming increasingly difficult for developers to find circuits with available capacity to host additional DG.
 

 


State News in Detail 

 

Northeast States    

New York authorizes additional funds for customer-sited renewable energy programs

 

Mid-Atlantic States    

New Jersey BPU approves plan to develop 45 MW of grid-connected solar

 

Midwestern States     

Minnesota enacts extensive renewable energy bill including net meteirng updates

 

Southern States        

Georgia PSC approves plan to solicit 60 MW of solar development

 

Western States           

Arizona study finds overwhelming benefit from DG systems to ratepayers

 

California ramps up energy storage mandates

 

Colorado increases Renewable Energy Standard for cooperatives

 

Idaho PSC agrees to small expansion of net metering capacity but also to harmful interconnection fees

Other States                

Hawaii PUC issues decisions in rate decoupling to encourage investment in renewables and efficiency

    

 


Miscellaneous News

 

New Solar Guide Could Tap 3.3GW Potential Of HOA Communities


 

  
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