Special CUB Conference Preview: How Will Our Solar Garden Grow?
Posted on September 22, 2016 by Janice Thompson
Tags, Conference & Events
Solar gardens? The what, why, and how of community solar, sometimes called solar gardens, is the focus of a panel at CUB’s upcoming sixth annual policy conference, The Future Starts Now. Come join us on October 14th at the Downtown Portland Hilton and learn how Oregon’s solar gardens will grow.
The coal transition bill, SB 1547, adopted earlier this year opens the door for community solar. The bill defines community solar projects as “one or more solar photovoltaic energy systems that provide owners and subscribers the opportunity to share the costs and benefits associated with the generation of electricity” from those systems.
SB 1547 provides a basic set of definitions, requires the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to establish rules for community solar projects, and provides general guidelines, but is not terribly detailed. That sets the stage for uncertainty which means that there will be keen attention on the PUC as it begins its work on the community solar docket.
A handful of states are ahead of Oregon in regard to community solar, though the applicability of their regulations varies. For example, solar rules in states where electricity generation and distribution are not integrated into one utility are less helpful in Oregon with vertically integrated electrical utilities.
One requirement in SB 1547 is for the PUC to determine a methodology for making 10 percent of the total generating capacity of community solar projects available for use by low-income residential customers. This has been a challenging element of community solar programs in other states. CUB supports this low-income requirement, but recognizes that the 10-year minimum requirement to be a subscriber is likely to be problematic for low-income customers who, due to economic pressures, are more likely to move frequently. In addition to thinking about individual low-income customers, it also seems prudent to explore opportunities for community solar projects on multifamily buildings that house low-income customers, or even facilities that provide services for our low-income neighbors.
Another factor is how the community solar docket might be influenced by the “resource value of solar power” docket and questions about the future of net metering. In other words, solar gardens are growing in a broader field of solar-related discussions.
All these challenges and more will be ably discussed by panelists Jeff Bissonnette, Executive Director of the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association; Liz Jones, CUB’s new staff attorney who was formerly an Assistant Attorney General for the Minnesota Public Utility Commission; Brendan McCarthy, Government Affairs Analyst with Portland General Electric; and Julie Peacock, Senior Policy Advisor at the Oregon Public Utility Commission. Thanks to our moderator Mark Ohrenschall, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Energy NewsData.
Our Early-Bird registration deadline is Friday, September 30. Register today to take advantage of lower prices! This is the third installment in a blog series previewing the panels at the 2016 CUB Policy Conference. Check out our previews write-ups of the Opening CEO Panel; break-out panels The Final Frontier: Has SB 1547 Changed Everything? and Californication (discussing EIMs and ISOs); and the Inaugural Consumer Champion Award. Follow conference updates on Twitter at #CUBCon16!
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12/27/16 | 0 Comments | Special CUB Conference Preview: How Will Our Solar Garden Grow?