Tag Archives: Vote Solar

Op-Ed: New Jersey Must Protect Low-Income Solar

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Yesterday, I sung the praises of Vote Solar as an organization that does the work behind the scenes to make your job possible. I listed several of their recent efforts and asked you to support their Equinox fundraiser on October 18.

Then I sat down at my computer this morning and found an article in NJ Spotlight by – you guessed it – Vote Solar (and our friends at GRID Alternatives) fighting for low-income solar

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(As a writer, I must also say I’m always impressed when I see a Vote Solar piece because they are not only poignant and on point, but they’re also so well written. So kudos to the team there for knowing how to construct a good piece of writing.)

The article comes on the heels of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signing into law plans for a community solar pilot which, as the piec e points out, is good on so many levels. It should bring at least $5 billion in new investment to the state and create jobs in a state that already has a thriving solar industry.

But with the planned sunset of the solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program, it would be easy to forget about low-income communities when it comes to community solar projects – and Vote Solar and GRID Alternatives want to make sure they continue to be part of the discussion. As usual, Vote Solar doesn’t just talk about making a difference; they have a plant to do what they’re suggesting. As the article states:

While the proposed rules include strong targets for LMI participation, we will continue to advocate for financial incentives to support projects for low-income communities. This is especially important given the sunset of the New Jersey Solar Renewable Energy Credit program. Any SREC successor should also include targeted support for low-income projects, as states like Massachusetts have implemented.

This is more evidence that Vote Solar is one of the most critical organizations in the solar industry. Articles like this bring solar home not just to the industry, but to those outside the industry who might be willing to support us. Outreach like this is why the solar industry continues to expand beyond its traditional constituencies.

So throw a little money into the tip jar to support the Vote Solar Equinox fundraiser. They do the work behind the scenes that you never see but that makes your job immensely easier.

Come Support Vote Solar – After All, They Support You

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Lobbying – and organizing lobbying – is often a thankless job. It requires hours of glad-handing, of having a phone of some sort permanently glued to your ear (well, not literally, but you know what I mean) and often without any recognition of what you are doing and/or accomplishing.

That’s why it’s important to recognize those folks who do an amazing job at keeping solar moving forward at the state level, and that’s why this post is dedicated to the amazing team at Vote Solar who, as luck would have it, are having a fundraiser on October 18. All of us should attend (if possible – I hear it’s a kick-butt party) or at least send your money to support their often heroic efforts to fight for solar policy at the state level. Their accomplishments are many, but here’s just a handful of their most recent successes (and this is literally just in the past month):

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  • New Mexico Terminates Punitive Charge on Solar Customers – Thanks to intense lobbying from Vote Solar and other solar advocates, New Mexico ordered its largest utility to stop sticking it to solar customers by eliminating a usurious charge called Rate 59. The change is going to save solar ratepayers approximately $300 per year
  • Vote Solar completed a report that found that the community solar pilot program in New Jersey could generate $800 million in ongoing revenue for the state. The report was issued shortly before the first community solar projects in New Jersey were unveiled – so there’s reason to believe the report had an impact.
  • Thanks to intense lobbying from Vote Solar and other industry groups, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 100 into law, establishing an aggressive goal of generating 100% of California’s electricity from clean energy by 2045.
  • The Arizona Corporation Commission listened to Vote Solar and other solar advocates and told two of its utilities to knock it off with exorbitant fixed charges, freeing future solar consumers for being penalized for going solar.
  • Vote Solar helped the Nevada Public Service Commission develop a proper framework to improve the ability of renewable resources to be integrated into the state’s electrical grid.

Given that they did all this with the resources available to them, can you imagine what they can do if we all supported their noble efforts?

So throw a little money into the tip jar to support the Vote Solar Equinox fundraiser. They do the work behind the scenes that you never see but that makes your job immensely easier.

London And New York Mayors Say Cities Must Divest From Fossil Fuels In Guardian Op-Ed

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Over the weekend, two of the world’s most influential mayors – Bill de Blasio (mayor of New York City) and Sadiq Khan (mayor of London) – took to the pages of the British newspaper The Guardian to urge cities around the world to divest from companies that extract fossil fuels.

The op-ed came ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit, a gathering of world leaders designed to discuss issues surrounding climate change and other environmental issues. The summit starts on Wednesday in San Francisco.

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The mayors wrote:

We believe that ending institutional investment in companies that extract fossil fuels and contribute directly to climate change can help send a very powerful message that renewables and low-carbon options are the future. If we want to fund the scale of transformation the world needs, we must foster sustainable investment and use the power of institutional investors, such as pension funds.

According to the article, less than 2% of London’s pension fund – which totals $7.1 billion – is invested in fossil-fuel generating companies, with more divesting coming this year (including eliminating investments in oil companies Shell and BP). New York has just begun its own divestment and expects to be completely divested within five years, the article reports.

Instead, New York touts the fact it has increased its use of solar energy six-fold since 2013 and which is the result in part from a push from the state’s governor Andrew Cuomo as well as de Blasio’s own progressive policies on the subject.

Both mayors acknowledge that divestment is not necessarily a straight path, and that there will be twists and turns along the way. But in urging their fellow mayors to divest, they say they are setting an example for country governments to follow:

We believe we can demonstrate to the world that divestment is a powerful tool and a prudent use of resources. And that, together, our cities – New York, London and many others around the world – can send a clear message to the fossil fuel industry: change your ways now and join us in tackling climate change.

I’d like to applaud de Blasio and Khan for their forward-thinking ways and their attempts at moral suasion through the press. Here’s hoping that coming out of the Global Climate Action Summit that even more cities will follow their lead and divest from fossil fuels.

More:

As New York and London mayors, we call on all cities to divest from fossil fuels

Report: New Jersey Community Solar Program Could Spur $800 Million In Economic Benefits

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Vote Solar released the results of its analysis of New Jersey’s planned 450 MW community solar program, in which it found the program could spur as much as $800 million in economic development.

Specifically, the report says the community solar program will create:

  • 1,778 sustained full-time jobs during construction and an additional 41 sustained full time jobs associated with operations and maintenance.
  • $414.7 million in earnings for those employed.
  • $797.9 million in local economic benefits for the state, excepting local tax revenues.
  • $3.3 million from property tax revenues in the first year alone.
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“Community solar holds a promise to expand access to affordable energy while creating jobs and growing New Jersey’s clean power sector,” said Pari Kasotia, Mid-Atlantic Director for Vote Solar. “These tangible economic benefits are an important part of the Garden State’s leadership and success in building a modern, 21st-century clean energy system that equitably serves everyone. We are glad to see New Jersey implement policies that align environmental goals with economic goals.”

The report was prepared by Vote Solar, a nonprofit organization working to lower solar costs and expand solar access across the U.S. They used the Jobs and Economic Impact (JEDI) Model developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to reasonably estimate the employment, earnings and economic impacts from the construction and operation of the solar energy facilities that could be expected if New Jersey adopts the minimum target of 450 MW over a three-year period. 450MW has been recommended by many stakeholders as the minimum program size necessary to drive investment in the state’s clean energy sector, achieve economies of scale, ensure all New Jersey’s communities gain access to community solar, and meaningfully contribute to the state’s 2030 clean electricity requirements.

The new community solar program, recently passed into law by the New Jersey legislature and signed by Governor Phil Murphy, is one of numerous attempts to get the state back on track after several years of languishing solar development in the Garden State. Murphy, who took office in January, campaigned strongly on a platform of clean energy and has made it one of the top priorities of his administration.

It’s nice to see New Jersey returning to prominence, having at one time been the No. 2 solar state in the Top 10 solar state rankings from the Solar Energy Industries Association – behind only California.