Utah Tops National Report Card on Renewable Energy Programs
‘Freeing the Grid 2010’ Reviews State Policies that Empower American Investment in Clean Energy, Green Job Growth
December 8, 2010 – Salt Lake City – Utah achieved high grades in the newly released 2010 edition of Freeing the Grid, a national report on policies that empower U.S. energy customers to use on-site solar and other renewables to meet their own electricity needs. Utah Clean Energy, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Vote Solar, and numerous stakeholders across the state have been working diligently with Utah utilities and the Public Service Commission over the past few years to improve the state’s renewable energy programs. Through the passage of key net metering policies and revision of interconnection rules and standards, Utah has helped clear the way for renewable energy growth.
“Utah’s decision-makers have increasingly recognized the full value of renewable energy resources and worked alongside the clean energy stakeholders to remove barriers to their adoption. Seeing that progress reflected in this year’s grades reminds us of how rewarding and productive a process it’s been,” says Sara Baldwin, of Utah Clean Energy. “Utah Clean Energy looks forward to continuing to work with all vested stakeholders to ensure that Utah’s high marks in Freeing the Grid translate into more renewable energy projects and more opportunities for job creation and economic development, statewide.”
“Freeing the Grid is intended to help state leaders understand and improve policies that unleash local investment in clean energy and green job creation. In the four years since we started publishing this annual report card, Utah has moved quickly from “F” grades to head-of-class “A”s. Now with some of the highest scores in the country, Utah has clearly committed to building a safer, cleaner and more prosperous energy future,” said Kyle Rabin, Director of the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC). “The impressive leadership and rapid progress we see coming from states like Utah continues to be the driving force in our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy.”
Freeing the Grid is produced annually by NNEC in partnership with Vote Solar, IREC, and the North Carolina Solar Center. The report defines best practices and grades states on two key policies that support customer adoption of renewables: net metering and interconnection procedures. Utah was one of only two states that received top “A” grade in both policy categories. This is the first time in the report’s four-year history that any state has achieved “A”s in both categories.
Download the full text of the 2010 Freeing the Grid at: www.freeingthegrid.org
Net metering rules: Commonly known as the policy that lets a customer’s electric meter spin backwards, net metering is a simple billing arrangement that ensures utility customers receive fair credit for the excess electricity their renewable systems generate. The Utah net metering rules require the state’s investor-owned utilities to make net metering benefits available to many customer types and systems sizes, enabling fair and broad participation in the state’s renewable economy. There is continued room for improvement among the state’s electric co-op programs. In total, 37 states received “A” or “B” grades for their net metering policies in the 2010 Freeing the Grid report, up from 13 states in 2007.
Interconnection procedures: Interconnection procedures are the rules and processes that an energy customer must follow to be able to “plug” their renewable energy system into the electricity grid. The interconnection process can be so lengthy, arduous or expensive that it thwarts customer investment in renewables altogether. Following best practices, Utah has a standard set of interconnection rules that offer clear, fair guidelines for most energy customers who invest in solar, wind and other renewable energy systems. In the 2010 Freeing the Grid, 20 states received “A” or “B” grades for good interconnection practices, a tremendous improvement over the solitary “B” grade awarded in 2007.
In addition to the state’s successes on net metering and interconnection, Utah adopted a law in 2010 to enable third-party financing for renewable energy systems for non-profits, schools, governments, and churches. This key policy is already facilitating a number of large-scale rooftop solar projects across the state that could not have been built otherwise.
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About NNEC: Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) promotes policies that ensure safe, clean, and environmentally responsible energy options. www.newenergychoices.org
About Vote Solar: The Vote Solar Initiative is a grassroots non-profit organization working to combat climate change and foster economic development by bringing solar energy into the mainstream. www.votesolar.org
About IREC: The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) is a premier resource for current information, education, credentialing and best practices regarding renewable energy. www.irecusa.org
About the North Carolina Solar Center: A public service center at North Carolina State University, the Solar Center manages the go-to resource for current clean energy policies nationwide, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE). www.ncsc.ncsu.edu/