Solar Energy Was America's Sole New Power Source in October

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/11/solar-energy-was-americas-sole-new-power-source-in-october/281867/



In October, power plants generating 530 megawatts of electricity came online in the United States. And every single electron put on the grid came from the sun, according to a report released today.

It’s possible to make too much of the fact that solar energy was the sole source of new electricity capacity in US that month. After all, the completion dates of power plants can be random. That’s particularly true for complex, multibillion-dollar, fossil fuel power stations that can take years to build and are subject to oversight by state regulators.

However, it is also possible to be too dismissive of this energy shift and the fact that solar supplanted coal and natural gas in October. It’s not a huge amount of power – at peak output 530 megawatts is what a medium-sized natural gas-fired power plant would generate. But it’s a clear sign that solar is no longer a niche play – especially when you consider that the October’s numbers don’t include the installation of roof photovoltaic panels on homes and businesses. In California alone, for instance, 19.5 megawatts of rooftop solar was installed in the territories of the state’s three big utilities just in October.

The chart below shows monthly installation statistics for rooftop solar under the California Solar Initiative, a state program to subsidize the installation of 1,940 megawatts of rooftop solar.

[MADem]

1. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

We can do nothing, or we can do something. I root for the latter!

[Demeter]

2. Shining a Light on Truth!

A BIG one!

Morning, X! Our power source is just creeping over the horizon, here. And it's COLD!

[xchrom]

3. good morning, miss demeter!

it's so good to see you.

it's cold and wet here, as well.

[kristopher]

4. Regulators just tweaked the system to reduce paperwork - solar's going to get stronger

FERC Hands Down Key Decision; Solar Growth Explodes in October
Rhone Resch
November 25, 2013

Even though they were overshadowed by the Senate’s historic decision to eliminate the use of the filibuster when it comes to most Presidential nominees — the so-called “nuclear option” — there were some major developments this week at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that are critically important to solar and renewable energy.

First, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, who proclaimed earlier this year that, “solar is growing so fast it is going to overtake everything,” announced that he’s officially leaving his position at the end of the week. Chairman Wellinghoff has been a true champion to solar, and we wish him well in all of his new endeavors.

But before leaving, Wellinghoff presided over one last Commission meeting on Thursday as a new rule was approved by FERC that will expedite and reduce the cost of solar project interconnections, while maintaining the reliability and safety of the electric grid. In a nutshell, this action — which SEIA has championed for nearly two years — will help to spur new solar deployment nationwide. The rule was approved by a 4-0 vote with Chairman Wellinghoff abstaining because of a possible conflict of interest.

Here’s the back story. In 2005, FERC issued Order No. 2006, which — for the first time — established national interconnection procedures applicable to generation projects that are 20 megawatts (MW) or less in size and subject to FERC’s wholesale jurisdiction. Order No. 2006 was groundbreaking at the time, and the procedures were voluntarily adopted by many states to also apply to the retail interconnection process. However, demand for solar energy has grown dramatically since the original order was issued more than seven years ago, and certain aspects of the order have resulted in needless barriers to cost-effective and timely interconnections.

The rule approved today will allow solar projects that meet certain technical requirements to qualify for a “fast track” interconnection process...

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/11/important-week-for-americas-solar-energy-industry?cmpid=SolarNL-Tuesday-November26-2013