Reminder- Arizona tax credit information is available here: Arizona Tax Incentives
Federal investment tax information, including end of year rules, is available here: Federal Tax Incentives
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The following items have been recently added or updated:
Energy vs. Agriculture in Italy
Electrification of transportation sector = More Renewable Energy Needed
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to provide 70% of its energy from solar and wind by 2035
Reminder- Arizona tax credit information is available here: Arizona Tax Incentives Federal investment tax information, including end of year rules, is available here: Federal Tax Incentives
Arizona Legislature
Call to Action - HB 2248 and SB 1175 would create massive regulatory uncertainty for businesses who wish to conduct business in Arizona. Call your representatives now.
Arizona Corporation Commission
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has posted STAFF'S THIRD REVISED PROPOSED DRAFT RULES (DOCKET no. RE-00000A-18-0284) That lay out a clearer framework for Electric Utilities to report their compliance with the proposed standards for the Renewable Energy Standard, Clean Peak Standard, Distributed Renewable Storage Requirement, and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure. See the ACC Staff Report: docket.images.azcc.gov/E000004960.pdf See also Materials Presented by the Joint Stakeholders at the Commission's March 2020 Energy Rules Workshop ACC Staff has made substantial changes to the draft rules that were filed on July 2, 2019 based on feedback received at each workshop held in this matter, comments to the docket, and a review of relevant energy policies across the United States. The Nature Conservancy has submitted their report "Arizona Thrives - A Path to a Healthy and Prosperous Future" to the ACC. Interesting. APS has submitted their report, The Solar Center has slightly reformatted this report by rotating the pages for easier viewing. APS has provided two presentations to address the ACC questions. Worth a read.
Arizona Corporation Commission-POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS TO THE ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION'S ENERGY RULES
Update July 30, 2020: When the Arizona utility regulators met to decide these issues they deadlocked over whether they should increase the state's requirements for renewable energy. It proved not possible to obtain the agreement of at least three commissioners, the meeting was adjourned. See the Arizona Republic article on this: Arizona utility regulators hit roadblock on clean-energy rules, abruptly end meeting. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has released the Notice of Final Rulemaking Interconnection of Distributed Generation FacilitiesInterconnection of Distributed Generation Facilities document. With this rulemaking, the Commission adds a new Article 26, entitled " Interconnection. of Distributed Generation Facilities" to 14 A.A.C. 2, the Chapter containing the Commission's rules for fixed utilities, with the new Article 26 including 28 new rules. The rules for Interconnection of Distributed Generation Facilities ("DGI Rules") establish mandatory technical standards, processes, and timelines for utilities to use for· interconnection and parallel operation of different types of distributed generation ("DG") facilities; customer and utility rights and responsibilities; provisions for disconnection of DG facilities from the distribution system; specific safety requirements; more flexible standards for electric cooperatives; a reporting requirement; and a requirement for each utility to create, submit for initial approval and submit for approval periodically and when revised, and implement and comply with a Commission-approved Interconnection Manual. The first dozen pages are basically legal stuff. The document defines how an utility must review, then accept/reject/etc. an application to connect distributed generation to the utility. It defines both customer rights and utility procedures. There are a lot of utility, installer and customer comments along with the ACC staff recomendations.
Interconnection of Distributed Generation Facilities
This is a good report that provides a conceptual framework for the Statewide Transportation Electrification Plan for Arizona, including planned or proposed near-term utility actions to support the growth of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the state. The report is part of a filing on the Arizona Corporation Commission website: Arizona Statewide Transportation Electrification Plan
Arizona Statewide Transportation Electrification Plan
Municipality Info
The City of Phoenix is now (January 2020) requiring a special permit from the Fire Department for most solar systems and batteries. The fees and required plans varies with size and content. See this link for an application and details: https://www.phoenix.gov/firesite/Documents/Solar Photovoltaic OTC Bundle Rev 01-2020.pdf This is in addition to a building permit from the Planning & Development Department and must be separately obtained at a different address (150 South 12th Street) or on-line via the above link. Also noted is that residential PV permits are no longer over the counter and as of March 2020 are estimated to take 29 working days to process. Separate inspections are required. The code requirements are contained in Phoenix-Chapter 12 BESS R-3-1.pdf Also note: All Phoenix solar building permits are now electronic submittal only. Contact the Electronic Plan Review (EPR) Triage Team at 602-534-5933 or epr.support@phoenix.gov. For more information on EPR, visit us at https://www.phoenix.gov/pdd/onlineservices/electronic-plan-review. Related: PV Rapid Shutdown Signage- Phoenix .
Phoenix Fire Dept. now requires a separate permit for solar systems and batteries
At the Federal Level
New information coming soon
Utility Information
Update July 18, 2020 APS has posted a Final report on the McMicken Battery Energy Storage System Event Technical Analysis and Recommendations. See the full article: https://azsolarcenter.org/update-utility-solar-battery-fire-in-arizona
Update- Utility Solar Battery Fire in Arizona (Intro)
Arizona Public Service Co. has announced that it plans to produce all of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050 and will get 45% of its power from renewable sources like solar and wind by the end of this decade. This is a good improvement from the point of view of sustainable energy. There are still a lot of details to be worked out such as the role that distributed energy will take. Will APS APS improve its policies in regard to residential and small commercial systems. There are several good news articles and the APS press releases on this announcement: APS:APS sets course for 100 percent clean energy future Arizona Republic: APS will eliminate carbon emissions by 2050 and close coal plant ahead of schedule, CEO says The Washington Post: Arizona’s biggest utility says it will get all of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2050
APS sets course for 100 percent clean energy future
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) plans to provide more than 70 percent of its power from wind and solar resources as part of a cleaner energy portfolio that will reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2035. TEP has filed its integrated resource plan (IRP) with the Arizona Corporation Commission, outlining plans for 2.5GW of new solar and wind over the next 15 years and 1.4GW of energy storage capacity as it progressively shutters its coal power stations. See the TEP Press Release for more information: https://www.tep.com/news/tep-plans-clean-energy-expansion-carbon-reduction/
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to provide 70% of its energy from solar and wind by 2035
TEP customers intending to install a new PV system now need to check that their system can be safely installed and connected to TEP’s grid. TEP now has service areas that are saturated with PV systems where new PV systems are subject to additional review and requirements under Arizona’s Distributed Generation Interconnection Rules. TEP has prepared DG Saturation Maps showing these areas. This further described at https://www.tep.com/get-started-with-solar/ This requirement stems from the recent Distributed Generation Interconnection Rules issued by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Further information is available at:Interconnection of Distributed Generation Facilities Update: See the related article on tucson.com: New state rules limit rooftop solar systems in some Tucson neighborhoods
TEP PV Saturation Maps
Interesting Technology Updates;
Battery Storage Costs Drop Dramatically, Making Way to a New Era. A recent Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) report continues to confirm that clean electrification through batteries is advancing at impressive rates. Very interesting report: Breakthrough Batteries- Powering the Era of Clean Electrification
Breakthrough Batteries Powering the Era of Clean Electrification
Other Announcements
Caution- News leads open in new windows. Warning- These news links are automatically generated by others such as Google News and are not reviewed by the Arizona Solar Center, Inc. We are not responsible for link content.
The White House as submitted its proposed budget for FY 2020 and it is not pro-renewable or pro-sustainable by a long shot. The Budget is titled "A BUDGET FOR A Better America". For instance, the Budget redefines the Mission of the Department of Energy in part as:
The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to advance U.S. national security and economic growth
through transformative science and technology innovations that promotes affordable and reliable energy
through market solutions, and meets America’s nuclear security and environmental clean-up challenges.
Energy efficiency programs, clean energy and environmental regulations could take deep cuts if President Trump’s proposed budget gets everything what he wants, although it’s politically likely that he will not.
The administration’s fiscal 2020 budget would trim the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office by $1.6 billion, or 70 percent of the fiscal 2019 appropriation. Overall, the DOE requested a $31.7 billion budget, an 11-percent decrease.
The Environmental Protection Agency budget request totaled $6.1 billion, a 31-percent cut from the nearly $9 billion allocated for fiscal 2019, according to reports.
“President Trump’s budget supports the Department’s vast mission in a fiscally responsible way, and makes clear that success will be measured not by the dollars spent but by the results achieved on behalf of the American people,” reads the DOE statement announcing the budget. “It calls for strategic investments in our energy security and national security, supporting America’s continued rise as an energy independent nation. Under President Trump’s leadership we have empowered American energy, with the U.S. becoming the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas, and now exporting LNG to 34 countries across five continents. The budget request also focuses on moving America forward by investing in transformational science, innovation, and technology. The Department of Energy’s National Labs are the crown jewels of America’s innovation and this funding will continue to support their work from Artificial Intelligence to renewables, clean coal and Advanced Nuclear technology. The budget proposal also funds the modernization of our nuclear stockpile, the aging infrastructure that supports it, and ensures a safe and effective system for our nuclear Navy for years to come.”
The statement said funding would continue to support the DOE’s National Labos programs, including work on artificial intelligence, clean coal and renewable energy. It also allocates money for support advanced nuclear energy technology.
Trump’s overall administration budget cut across all fronts except military spending. It also allocated about $8 billion toward building a wall along the border with Mexico.
Energy efficiency took a huge hit. One detail noted by critics of the budget proposal was that, under the plan, the EnergyStar appliance program would be funded entirely from user fees. It could cut the EPA’s vehicle emissions program completely, according to reports.
“This proposal, if enacted, would cause Americans’ energy costs to rise, while killing jobs around the country,” said Steve Nadel, executive director of advocacy group The American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy, in a statement. “Energy efficiency directly supports 2.3 million U.S. jobs and indirectly many more. In addition to putting these jobs at risk, these cuts run counter to the administration’s own goals of promoting economic growth and reducing wasteful spending. We hope Congress will stand up for business owners, workers, and consumers by blocking the proposed 2020 budget cuts.”
The ACEEE statement also said that the DOE's appliance standards, vehicle emissions and building codes programs will save Americans billions of dollars through 2030.
Trump’s budget must go through a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, in which all appropriations bills must begin. In previous years the presidential administration has proposed major cuts to EPA and clean energy programs beyond even what was announced this week.
For instance, two years ago the newly installed Trump Administration proposed 31 percent cuts to EPA funding for fiscal 2018, but the Republican-controlled Congress approved an $8.1 billion budget that kept the agency level with fiscal 2017.
The basic Budget description is available here:
Most of the above text is from Electric Power & Light: https://www.elp.com/articles/2019/03/renewable-energy-efficiency-groups-mount-united-front-vs-trump-budget.html
Groups are organizing to resist this budget reduction:
Related article: https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2019/03/renewable-energy-efficiency-groups-mount-united-front-vs-trump-budget.html
The International Solar Energy Society has developed a series of infographics to clarify some commonly claimed shortcomings about renewable energy - we hope you find this document helpful when discussing renewable energy with your friends, family, or colleagues. Worth a read.
The British news magazine special year-end edition for 2018 has a nice article on rooftop solar in America. Worth a read. Evident that the situation in Arizona is part of a pattern by utilities.
https://www.economist.com/business/2018/12/22/rooftop-solar-remains-marginal-in-america
That's a wrap!
As 2018 draws to a close, ASES can reflect on another year of bringing together the solar community though our events and resources. From our new jobs board to Tiny Watts, SOLAR 2018 to the National Solar Tour, our accomplishments are a reflection of the enormous support that we feel from supporters like you. So please accept our sincere gratitude in 2018 as we prepare for even more important work in the weeks and months ahead. We are looking forward to engaging more volunteers to join our community, and an overwhelming increase in solar adoption in 2019.
Earlier this month at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, the United Nations agreed on a common set of rules to put the Paris Agreement into practice. A landmark IPCC report showed we have less than a decade to address global climate change or face catastrophic consequences. It painted a more dire picture of the consequences of climate change than previous research, and this heightens the need for a rapid transformation of the energy economy. The vast majority of the U.N. formally supported the IPCC 1.5˚C report, however the United States only "noted" the report, indicating that it does not endorse its findings.
Though the U.N. science panel chief called for more action to curb climate change (Good COP!), the COP24 outcomes were simply not enough and did not bolster the sense of urgency demanded by the findings. Island countries most vulnerable to climate change, such as Fiji, the Maldives and Vanatu, are expressing deep concern at potential negative outcomes from the negotiations in Poland. At ASES we are bridging solutions and creating the power of community. Please submit a proposal to present at SOLAR 2019, and join us there August 5-9th, in Minneapolis, MN, a city with a commitment to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030. Please see our call to for participation below to present your solutions. And please join us and give your support today, with a tax deductible donation to ASES.
From the islands to the poles, we are in severe climate danger. Also this month, NOAA published its annual report card on the changing Arctic, describing the north and south poles as increasingly melting as they warm at twice the rate of the global average. With the last five years being the hottest on record, we are "pushing the Arctic into uncharted territory."
It's not too late, and we do have cause to celebrate. Employing more than 250,000 Americans, the U.S. solar energy industry is making our economy stronger and our air cleaner every day. What’s good for the planet is also good for our wallets. 2018 boasted over 18% of net domestic electrical generation from renewable energy sources. More and more individuals, businesses, cities, states, and countries are taking the pledge for 100% renewable energy. Welcome 2019. The future is here. Let’s work together for a clean and clear vision towards 2020.
Wishing you peace and love in your heart and many blessings for a prosperous New Year!
Carly Rixham
Executive Director
American Solar Energy Society