California Solar Industry and Utilities Unveil Dueling Solar-Storage Tariffs

The state will soon have special rate structures for homes and businesses that want to invest in battery-backed solar or EVs—but the details are subject to debate.

California is already breaking ground in attempting to properly value the distributed technologies hitting the grid. So far, that’s been done through large-scale capacity contracts, demand response auction mechanisms, and utility pilots. Now the state is opening another front in distributed energy integration: tariffs. 

10 Significant State Policies for Distributed Solar Energy

California and New Jersey receive frequent coverage for the state policies that have helped them claim and hold onto the first and second spots, respectively, for US solar energy installations.

But there are other state programs worthy of emulation especially as smaller residential and commercial projects account for more US clean energy capacity.

Developers rush to be Japan's first new renewable players

On June 18, 2012, Yukio Edano, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) accepted the recommendation of an advisory committee on the new renewable energy industry and adopted a comprehensive system of feed-in tariffs in order to put Japan on the path to a more sustainable energy mix.

As the move had been widely expected following the adoption of the Renewable Energy Act (REA) (effective July 1, 2012), numerous Japanese companies have been positioning themselves to take advantage of the unusually generous rates.

Estonia approves law to full opening of electricity market

The Estonian Riigikogu approved on Wednesday of the amendments to the electricity market law which opens up the Estonian electricity market to competition fully from January 1, 2012, LETA/Public Broadcasting reports.

The finance ministry has forecast that opening of the electricity market will increase the price of electricity by nearly 17% next year while electric energy tariff increases nearly 50%.