The PACE soap opera continues: Take action for All My Children!
It seems that soap operas did not, in fact, go away after the 80s. Because the ongoing saga of efforts to establish Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs play like an energy wonk’s...
View ArticleHalftime update
With the year nearly half done, here’s the solar scoreboard–updates from things we’ve been working on, and a selection of other notable solar victories. New state solar programs New York is our biggest...
View ArticleMinnesota Is a Governor’s Signature Away from 450MW of Solar
This week the Minnesota legislature passed a substantial solar energy bill that will result in the development of more than 450 megawatts of solar by 2020. Solar advocates are awaiting Governor...
View ArticleVote Solar is hiring: Director of DG and Grid Integration
Vote Solar seeks a candidate to help pioneer solutions to the next challenges facing sustainable solar market expansion: grid integration of variable resources, and market design for distributed...
View ArticleCrowdfunding the next solar revolution(s)
Where’s the capital for the next solar revolution(s) going to come from? Maybe you. Ryan Levinson of SunFunder and Billy Parish of Mosaic shared their thoughts with us on a recent webinar, and here’s...
View ArticleIntroducing Project Permit!
We are excited to beta launch Project Permit, an interactive website that scores local permitting practices to help lower solar costs across the country. It’s designed to help solar stakeholders,...
View ArticleIncluding all the benefits in cost-benefit analyses of solar
When it comes to evaluating our energy options, policymakers typically perform cost-benefit analyses. That seems pretty uncontroversial, right? Where it gets squirrelly is in the selection of...
View ArticlePalo Alto Municipal Utility: going big on solar
The city of Palo Alto (CA) has set a goal of 100% carbon-free power for its municipal utility. To achieve this goal, they are going solar in a big way…and with some mindblowing results. The utility...
View ArticleFighting for Solar Friendly Utility Rates in Arizona (aka. Rate Design 101)
Vote Solar helped score a victory for solar customers in Arizona. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), which is the entity that oversees the state’s utilities, recently approved a rate case for...
View ArticleLouisiana Beats Back Another Attempt to Dismantle Net Metering
For months the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) has pushed off a vote on whether to maintain or dismantle net metering, one of the most important programs for empowering customer investment in...
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Los Angeles Flips the Switch on Its First Feed-In Tariff Project
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa inaugurates a solar project in North Hollywood. (Anne Cusack, Los Angeles Times) Less than six months after LA launched its largest-in-the-country feed-in tariff...
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New Model Rules for Shared Renewables
Give every American a chance to choose solar – sounds straightforward, right? While the basic concept is a no-brainer, the policy details to make it happen can get pretty complicated. That’s where...
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Two conferences we’re excited about: Intersolar & the National Clean Energy...
At Vote Solar so much of our time is spent in front of our phones and computers doing policy work that we really appreciate the chance to connect in person with others on the front lines of the growing...
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The pursuit of solarness
One of the most compelling virtues of solar energy is the opportunity for freedom and independence. Solar means you don’t have to wait for the utility or other powers-that-be to do the right...
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Their own sunny Idaho
Just in time for Independence Day, rooftop solar rights scored another win! This one from Idaho where the state’s major utility, Idaho Power Company (IPCo) had set out to weaken its net metering...
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DC Eyes Community Shared Solar
The DC Council is set to vote tomorrow on a new program that would allow thousands of DC renters, businesses, and others to go solar for the first time. If you live in the District, click here to help...
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DC Council Unanimously Approves Shared Solar Program
Our nation’s capital took a big step toward more clean energy Wednesday, when the DC Council voted to approve a new shared renewable energy program. The Community Renewables Energy Act will allow...
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Another Banner Year for CA Rooftop Solar as Successful Rebate Program Winds Down
Yesterday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) released its annual progress report for the California Solar Initiative, and it’s more good news for solar in the Golden State. Some key...
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RPS Scoreboard
This year, Grover Norquist and ALEC famously declared war on renewable energy, sponsoring legislation to roll-back renewable portfolio standards (RPS) — a fundamental energy policy that 30 states have...
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Arizona’s Big Utility Power Grab Revealed
Rooftop solar is on the rise in Arizona – helping families, schools and businesses take charge of their power supply and their electricity bills like never before. It’s great news for Arizonans, but...
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