SEPA Executive Director Julia Hamm said these numbers signify increasing interest in solar projects from utilities in the US. Photo Courtesy of Pacific Gas and Electric.

A group that promotes solar power adoption by utilities in the US released a report yesterday that ranked the country’s “most active” utilities in terms of their solar energy installations in 2008.

The report “2008 Top Ten Utility Solar Integration Rankings” was released by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), whose members include over 550 utilities and other solar industry stakeholders. According to their survey, Pacific Gas & Electric in California installed the most grid-connected solar installations in 2008, having installed 84.9 megawatts (MW) for the whole year. Pacific Gas & Electric topped 91 other utilities that volunteered to take the survey.

California utilities also gained the second and third spots. Southern California Edison installed 32.4 MW of new capacity, while Sand Diego Gas and Electric put up 16 MW.

SEPA’s list was completed by Xcel Energy in Colorado with 14.2 MW; Public Service Electric Gas and Co. (New Jersey, 5.5 MW); Arizona Public Service (3.56 MW); Hawaiian Electric Co. (3.54 MW); Portland General Electric (Oregon, 3.538 MW); Sacramento Municipal Utility District (California, 2.9 MW), and Long Island Power Authority (New York, 2.5 MW).

The utilities that were surveyed had an average of 11 MW in their cumulative portfolio as of 2008. Many of them doubled their solar electricity compared with 2007, according to SEPA.

SEPA Executive Director Julia Hamm said these numbers signify increasing interest in solar projects from utilities in the US.

“This year’s report demonstrates that solar electricity is finally on the radar screen of utilities across the country,” Hamm said.

SEPA said renewable portfolio standards, an impending policy which mandates greenhouse gas emissions cuts, and the volatility of the cost of traditional power and its fossil fuel sources improves the utilities’ perception of solar.

Yesterday, the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) in its energy generation forecast until 2030 said that except for wind, all other renewable energy subsectors might not compete with traditional energy sources in terms of costs if a business-as-usual scenario is considered.

Citing solar energy as an example, the EIA said it will still rely heavily on government support, such as incentives and renewable energy mandates.

Still, SEPA said solar power growth in 2008 was largely utility-driven instead of customer-driven. The report also held that utilities are adopting new business strategies to include solar in their portfolio.

“The variety of ways solar power is being implemented signals an increased maturity in the market,” SEPA director of research and education, Mike Taylor, said.

-  Eric Dorente

Source:

¹ http://www.solarelectricpower.org/docs/FINAL...

 Subscribe RSS

  Email This   Hits : 865

Trackback ( 0 )
Trackback Link for This Article

Article Rating

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Comments (0)

No Comments Available.

Are You Sure You Want to Delete This Comment?