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Because the photo voltaic and storage business leads the transition to a clear power future, a lot of the work of decarbonizing our financial system is dependent upon state and native motion. That’s the reason specialists from the Photo voltaic Power Industries Affiliation (SEIA) are working in states throughout the nation to ascertain supportive coverage frameworks that enable photo voltaic to compete within the market and provide cost-competitive, dependable power to shoppers. SEIA works intently with a wide selection of companions and stakeholders to drive consensus and advance robust clear power insurance policies.
With 2024 midway carried out, listed here are among the 12 months’s most essential state coverage wins for the photo voltaic and storage business.
Maryland
In Might, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the landmark Brighter Tomorrow Act into legislation. This bipartisan laws will increase photo voltaic entry to low- and moderate-income Marylanders, facilitate the adoption of automated digital photo voltaic allowing for counties and municipalities, and put money into native photo voltaic deployment.
SEIA collaborated with its regional affiliate Chesapeake Power Storage & Photo voltaic Affiliation (CHESSA), environmental advocates, group organizations, and lawmakers to safe this win.
Virginia
Simply over the Potomac River, Virginia handed a slate of bipartisan payments that can make photo voltaic extra accessible.
The primary invoice, Home Invoice 1062/Senate Invoice 271, strengthens power selection for patrons by permitting rooftop photo voltaic leasing with a third-party. Photo voltaic financing choices like third-party leasing will help to scale back upfront prices, making photo voltaic extra attainable.
Virginia can also be strengthening “Shared Solar” — the Commonwealth’s model of group photo voltaic. Home Invoice 106/Senate Invoice 253 expands Dominion Power’s current program from 200 megawatts (MW) to 350 MW. As well as, Home Bill108/Senate Invoice 255 requires the State Company Fee to ascertain a framework for group photo voltaic in Appalachian Energy Firm’s service space. Southwest Virginia has one of many highest power burdens within the nation, making photo voltaic extra accessible to Virginians that want it most.
Just like its work in Maryland, SEIA labored intently with CHESSA and a coalition of companions to go these payments.
Colorado
This 12 months, Colorado handed bipartisan laws that ought to set a nationwide instance for the right way to modernize the grid. Senate Invoice 24-218 gives vital assets for utilities, decreases interconnection wait instances, and creates new alternatives for photo voltaic and storage growth.
SEIA and the Colorado Photo voltaic and Storage Affiliation labored with many stakeholders, together with utilities, organized labor, environmental advocacy organizations, and the Colorado Power Workplace, to go this invoice.
State leaders additionally voted to revitalize the state’s group photo voltaic program by way of the bipartisan Senate Invoice 24-207. In 2010, Colorado grew to become the primary state to go a group photo voltaic program, however capability limits and outdated insurance policies have led to only one% of eligible prospects taking part. The brand new legislation — designed to enhance fairness and capitalize on out there federal incentives — reserves 51% of every group photo voltaic mission’s capability for income-qualified residential subscribers. It additionally improves accessibility by eradicating outdated obstacles to photo voltaic like credit score rating necessities.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Home of Representatives handed laws to speed up photo voltaic deployment and tackle longstanding challenges hampering the native photo voltaic market.
SEIA advocated for a lot of provisions in Home Invoice 4876, together with cut-off dates for allowing selections, a streamlined appeals course of for difficult allow denials, and a extra predictable interconnection course of that can present enterprise certainty. The invoice additionally requires the procurement of 5 gigawatt-hours of power storage.
The invoice now goes to convention, the place members of each chambers will work to finalize a compromise invoice. SEIA will proceed to work with legislators to finalize the invoice language and rapidly get it to Governor Healey for signature.
SEIA’s state advocacy work is much from over. Photo voltaic power will proceed to be a scorching matter in states across the nation, and when debates affecting the business come up, SEIA will probably be there to make sure the business speaks with a unified voice.
SEIA will proceed to advocate in state legislatures throughout the nation for allowing and siting reforms, grid modernization, and fairness initiatives. SEIA seems to be ahead to securing extra state coverage wins within the second half of 2024 and guaranteeing the photo voltaic and storage business continues to be a strong financial engine and a supply of dependable and reasonably priced power for all People.
Courtesy of SEIA.
