Namaste Solar
The NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) has released its 2022 Annual Review and Fourth Quarter Update. 50 states of the sunThe quarterly series focuses on net metering, distributed solar valuation, community solar, residential fixed rates, residential demand and solar rates, third-party ownership and utility-led, distributed Provides insight into state regulatory and legislative debates and actions regarding solar policy. rooftop solar program.
According to the report, 46 states and the District of Columbia will have some form of distributed solar policy action in 2022, with actions related to net metering policies, community solar policies, and housing fixed rate increases being the most common. There were many. The states with the most actions are Illinois, California, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Colorado and Michigan.
Solar Policy Actions for 2022
The report highlights the top 10 trends for distributed solar power policies in 2022.
- States are moving away from traditional net weighing.
- Net billing will become the dominant successor fee structure.
- States that have incorporated LMI-specific provisions into their solar programs.
- Focuses on grid access fees and minimum bills.
- New states considering community solar programs.
- Increased use of time-varying compensation factors for distributed generation.
- Encouraging distributed generation systems in combination with storage batteries.
- A state that ties labor requirements to solar programs.
- Distributed generators of increasing complexity.When
- States that take an iterative approach to designing distributed generation programs.
NCCETC policy analyst Justin Lindemann said, “2022 will be a key year for low- to middle-income (LMI) solar access, following similar trends from 2021. I did.” “Many states have committed to incentivize participation in the LMI through carve-outs, rebates, and billing and tax exemptions. Many of the advances have been related to improving community solar engagement. , New Hampshire and California enacted new programs that prioritize the expansion of solar power in LMI communities.”
A total of 285 state and utility-level distributed solar policy and tariff changes have been proposed, pending or decided in 2022. The report says the 10 states with the most active deployment of solar policies in 2022 will be:
- In California, regulators approved replacement rates for net metering, and state legislators enacted legislation to create a new community solar program.
- In Mississippi, the Public Service Commission approved revisions to the state’s DG program rules and reviewed community solar program rules.
- In Hawaii, the Public Utilities Commission has approved a new DER program design and advanced tariff design framework.
- In North Carolina, regulators have reviewed Duke Energy’s proposed net metered successor rate to allow third-party solar PPAs to proceed on military installations.
- In Michigan, Consumers Energy and DTE Electric requested approval to change their DG program credit rates and introduce surcharges.
- In Maine, legislators adopted changes to the net energy bill rate program, and the DG stakeholder group presented the framework for the DG successor program.
- In Georgia, the Public Service Commission increased the export credit rate for Georgia Power’s net billing program but refused to expand the restricted retail rate net metering program.
- In New Mexico, regulators have approved community solar program rules, and Excel Energy has submitted a standby fee proposal.
- In Indiana, regulators have approved a net metered succession fee for a state investor-owned utility, and the Indiana Supreme Court has considered an appeal.When
- In Florida, the governor rejected a bill establishing a replacement fee for net metering and approved the introduction of a surcharge for customer generators.
NCCETC Policy Analyst Vincent Potter said: California regulators have rejected capacity charges in favor of directing utilities to use certain existing rates. In Hawaii, regulators mandate the introduction of an advanced pricing framework that will eventually replace demand charges and floors within the state. “
In Q4 2022, 40 states and Washington, D.C. took some action on distributed solar policy or rate design. A total of 156 actions were tracked in Q4.
Notice from NC Clean Energy Technology Center