Arizona utility APS has launched a new program, APS Solar Communities, to make renewable energy more accessible. Designed specifically for limited- and moderate-income customers, APS Solar Communities approved participants agree to have a rooftop solar system installed at no cost. Customers then begin receiving a monthly $30 bill credit fromRead More

Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) and Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Forum (CRES Forum) released a policy paper outlining five recommendations to modernize the U.S. electric power grid. By unleashing advanced energy investment, encouraging innovation in the electricity sector, and providing more affordable energy options for all consumers, there are opportunitiesRead More

Florida Power & Light Company started construction on four new solar power plants this week, adding to the 14 major solar power plants it already operates and more than 200 smaller solar installations, totaling more than 935 megawatts of universal solar capacity currently powering customers. In addition, FPL and otherRead More

MCE Clean Energy’s annual cash-out process for rooftop solar customers is currently underway, offering more than $1.8 million in check payments to purchase the excess solar electricity generated by customers. “We’re proud to support over 10,000 solar customers in the Bay Area, and we’re grateful to them for adding 100%Read More

The U.S. power grid, after faithfully delivering electricity to our neighborhoods for generations, is facing significant changes to how it operates — thanks to solar installations, wind farms, new energy storage systems and electric vehicles. As utilities meet the challenges of incorporating distributed energy sources on the low- and medium-voltageRead More

DTE Energy has submitted its 2018 Renewable Energy Plan to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) proposing approximately 1,000 additional MW of carbon-free electricity from new wind and solar projects in Michigan scheduled to be completed by 2022. If approved, these new renewable energy projects would drive investment of moreRead More

This may be a glimpse into the future: Southern Co. and its Alabama Power and Georgia Power subsidiaries have announced a Smart Neighborhood initiative that will provide customers with state-of-the-art home construction, distributed energy resources – including solar and battery energy storage – and smart home appliances and technologies. TheRead More

As utility data becomes more publicly available, the more innovative ideas and solutions can be proposed. Like this: A report issued by Indiana Advanced Energy Economy finds that a combination of demand reduction strategies could avoid or defer the need for new power plants, transmission lines, and distribution infrastructure acrossRead More

Florida Power & Light Co. unveiled a new solar-plus-storage system last week that they say will be the first in the country to fully integrate battery technology with a major solar power plant in a way that increases the plant’s overall energy output. By incorporating this new technology into theRead More

If the government is going to inflate the cost of solar, it’s time to turn to even smarter solutions to bring them back down. mPrest, a provider of control software for grid modernization and Innowatts, a self-learning retail energy platform, for example, formed a partnership to integrate customer/ behind-the-meter intelligenceRead More