Gigawatts of Solar Power Approved, While Dirty Plants Falter
Thursday, September 2nd 2010 7:11 PM
By GetSolar Staff.
Despite the recent defeat of a clean-energy bill in the California legislature that would have required the state's utilities to source one-third of their power from renewable sources, solar power is making progress along a different front - regulatory approvals.
Recently, GetSolar reported on a number of key approvals, such as that of the Imperial Valley Solar Project, a 709-megawatt solar concentrating power plant. Regulators also approved the Blythe Solar Power Project, which at 1,000 megawatts would be the largest in the world, and the Beacon Solar Energy Project, which clocks in at 250 megawatts.
One reason that so many projects are rushing through the process is a scramble to capitalize on a shift in federal policy on tax credits for clean energy development that comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - also called the stimulus package. As part of ARRA, companies were allowed to claim an existing 30 percent tax credit as a cash grant, which helped boost investment by firms that were struggling to make a profit, and were thus ineligible for tax credits.
To qualify for ARRA funds, the projects need to get underway by the end of this year - which explains why there are 11 gigawatts in the pipeline.
Despite its recent legislative setbacks, California's solar installations mean that it is still leading the nation in clean, renewable energy.
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Despite the recent defeat of a clean-energy bill in the California legislature that would have required the state's utilities to source one-third of their power from renewable sources, solar power is making progress along a different front - regulatory approvals.
