Solar America Initiative State Working Group: Final Scientific/Technical Report

Abstract

Through the support from the Department of Energy, NARUC has educated thousands of stakeholders, including Public Utility Commissioners, commission staff, and State energy officials on solar energy technology, implementation, and policy. During the lifetime of this grant, NARUC staff engaged stakeholders in policy discussions, technical research, site visits, and educational meetings/webinars/materials that provided valuable education and coordination on solar energy technology and policy among the States. Primary research geared toward State decision-makers enabled stakeholders to be informed on current issues and created new solar energy leaders throughout the United States. Publications including a Frequently Asked Questions guide on feed-in tariffs and a legal analysis of state implementation of feed-in tariffs gave NARUC members the capacity to understand complex issues related to the economic impacts of policies supportive of solar energy, and potential paths for implementation of technology. Technical partnerships with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) instructed NARUC members on feed-in tariff policy for four States and solar PV resource assessment in seven States, as well as economic impacts of solar energy implementation in those States. Because many of the States in these technical partnerships had negligible amounts of solar energy installed, this research gave them new capacity to understandmore » how policies and implementation could impact their constituency. This original research produced new data now available, not only to decision-makers, but also to the public at-large including educational institutions, NGOs, consumer groups, and other citizens who have an interest in solar energy adoption in the US. Under this grant, stakeholders engaged in several dialogs. These educational opportunities brought NARUC members and other stakeholders together several times each year, shared best practices with State decision-makers, fostered partnerships and relationships with solar energy experts, and aided in increasing the implementation of smart policies that will foster solar technology deployment. The support from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has created solar energy leaders in the States; leaders who will serve to be a continuing valuable resource as States consider adoption of new low-carbon and domestic energy supply to meet the energy needs of the United States.« less