Tag Archives: Vote Solar

Nevada Solar Soars After Legislators Got It Right (After The PUC Got It So Wrong)

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened:A recent Vote Solar note on Nevada revealed that the industry has come roaring back after legislative fixes in 2017 cleaned up the mess that lawmakers and the Public Utilities Commission created in 2016.

  • Most specifically, Assembly Bill (AB) 405 went into law and caused applications for NV Energy’s SolarGenerations program to spike 11-fold in just one year.
  • The bill also provided the right atmosphere to encourage solar installers to hire more workers, including one company that increased its workforce 300%.
    • Nevada

    Once state legislators stopped gambling with the future of solar in the state, Nevada’s industry has come roaring back.

    SolarWakeup’s View:  Well, better late than never, right?

    After the Nevada Public Utilities Commission threw the state’s solar market into disarray with its precipitous decision to eliminate net metering in 2016, the rooftop solar industry all but stopped in the state. National companies like Vivint, Sunrun and (then) SolarCity fled the market in protest.

    Two years later, advocacy group Vote Solar says legislative fixes have helped the industry rebound and thrive once again.

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    As Rosalind Jackson of Vote solar writes:

    (NV Energy’s) SolarGenerations applications went from 287 in 2016 to 3,308 in 2017, with most applications coming in the second half of the year, after AB405 was signed into law. This represents an 11-fold year-over-year increase and early monthly data from 2018 indicates continued growth.

    Perhaps the best news from Vote Solar’s note is the reports of significant hiring in a state that needs jobs. Here’s what Larry Cohen, branch manager for Sunrun, a national solar installation firm with offices in Las Vegas, told Jackson:

    Before the ink was dry on AB 405 – Nevada’s landmark Solar Bill of Rights – I started rehiring dozens of our workers who I was forced to lay off just 18 months earlier because of anti-solar net metering changes. We hope legislators across the country look to Nevada and see that there is incredible voter demand for solar choice. All states should take strong steps to protect access to clean, affordable local energy.

    It’s a great thing to see the state with some of the highest insolation rates in the country getting its act together again on solar. Other states should see Nevada’s lost two years as a cautionary tale against changing solar policy recklessly without looking at all of the potential cosequences.

    Like I said, better late than never – but those are two years of growth that Nevada solar industry won’t ever get back. And that’s a shame.

    More:

    Nevada Solar Applications Through the Roof Following Passage of Net Metering Bill

    Vote Solar Lends Voice To “100% Clean Energy In California” Coalition

    By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

    What Happened: Vote Solar is lending its voice to a coalition of 27 organizations in California that are fighting to move the state to a 100% clean energy future.

    • Yesterday, one of solar’s most active advocacy groups announced the launching of the organized campaign in support of California Senate Bill (SB) 100.
    • If SB 100 passes, it would move the renewable energy goalposts again (in a good way), raising the renewable portfolio standards from 60% to 100%.
    • Besides Vote Solar, the coalition also includes the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and the American Lung Association.

    SolarWakeup’s View:  See, it’s advocacy like this that makes it imperative for you to attend Vote Solar’s Equinox Party (their spring fundraiser, which takes place tonight).

    Vote Solar does the down-and-dirty work of solar advocacy – fighting on a state-by-state level in ways that broader organizations can’t. I mean, keeping on top of all the challenges to the solar industry in all 50 states is a daunting task, and I’m always amazed (and thrilled) by the job that Adam Browning and his team do. Their eyes are everywhere, and if there’s a battle that needs to be fought in almost any state in the union, you’ll hear about it first from Vote Solar.

    The coalition it’s involved in this time is working hard to build support for passage of SB 100, which would increase California’s RPS from 60% to 100%, which would be a boon to an already strong solar industry in the state. And broad-based coalitions like this are the way we will win some of the toughest fights ahead of us.

    Make no mistake: There are still tough fights ahead, and we all need Vote Solar to continue their incredibly important work.. So throw them a few bucks if you can (and attend their party tonight – I can never make it, snowbound in Cleveland as I am. But from the photos I’ve seen from previous parties, it’s Off. The. Hook.).

    (Yann asked me to mention that he is on the host committee of the Equinox and that he personally would appreciate it if you bought tickets and attended the event. So make Yann happy. Buy your tickets here – you won’t be disappointed.)

    vote solar

    Don’t let all those smiles fool you – the members of the Vote Solar team are some of the most tenacious solar advocates I’ve ever met. So support them when you can.

    More:

    California 100% Clean Energy Coalition

    Vote Solar

    Equinox 2018 Tickets

    Vote Solar Appeals Court Ruling – Seeks Full Net Metering in Nevada

     Vote Solar is appealing the district courts ruling that reinstated net metering for existing customers, grandfathering the policy for those customers. The original lawsuit called for net metering to be put back in place for all customers after the PUCN eliminated it. The appeal calls for net metering to be offered by the electric utilities to all customers as required by Nevada law.

    The solar advocacy group is represented by local counsel and Earthjustice. Attorney from Earthjustice, Sara Gersen, said, “Nevada law requires utilities to offer net metering. By ensuring the Commission follows the law, the Nevada Supreme Court can put clean energy back within reach for many Nevadans.”

    A ruling which brings back net metering would be a big improvement for solar workers in Nevada. Last week, National Geographic’s Years of Living Dangerously covered the affair interviewing Sunrun which left the State along with SolarCity and Vivint Solar, costing Nevada thousands of jobs. A stunning image of boxes stacked on boxes labeled ‘cancelled jobs’ gave a visual representation of the impacts caused by the 3 utility regulators.

    Vote Solar is seeking to bring the State back on track by asked for relief. At the same time, Vote Solar’s Jessica Scott is on an advisory committee for distributed generation for the Governor’s New Energy Industry Task Force in the attempt to move other avenues forward for solar supporters in Nevada. About the chances in the legal challenge, Scott said, “We have a strong legal case for reversing the decision for future solar customers and look forward to having a full discussion of the facts at the Supreme Court.”

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    This is your SolarWakeup for October 31st, 2013

    Happy Halloween! As a SolarWakeup treat I want to point you to two reads for the holiday.

    1. Women4Solar is a group of women in the solar industry who feel passionately the industry can do a better job communicating with female homeowners and Moms.  The group is helping solar companies sell more effectively to women, and I love their idea!

    2. Jigar Shah, the well known founder of Sunedison, has published his book, Creating Climate Wealth.  While I have not read it yet, I plan to and will make sure to let you know how good it is. Let me know if you have gotten the chance to read it!

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    Have a great day!

    Yann