If you’re a residential customer of Southern California Edison (SCE), you’ve got more than SoCal’s sunny days to be happy about. You’re also sitting on what is arguably the state’s best solar rebate. We’ve discussed this before. But, looking at the numbers this morning, I could help but mention it again. Here’s the deal. In 2006, [...]

While the world was saying goodbye to 2010 on New Year’s Eve, many in the solar indsutry were gladly welcoming in 2011 — a year that ushered in a plethora of solar energy policies upon its arrival.

Solar energy installations aren’t making life easier for everyone, especially in California, where a unique, likely unforseen problem has taking shape due to the rapid rate of solar installations.

Some residents of Concord, California are up in arms over a 1,000-panel solar power project that could soon be approved by the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD). The CCWD board has already approved two major solar energy projects this year. One is a roughly 1,000-panel solar array at the Baily pump station, next to Newhall [...]

the CPUC finally approved the PPA, giving the green light for SolarReserve to begin constructing the 150-megawatt (MW) solar thermal plant that is expected to generate 450,000 megawatt-hours (mWh) of solar energy each year – enough to power 68,000 average American homes for a full year.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) faced many doubts and complaints as they rolled out their smart meter program, but an independent study released last week confirmed that the meters are technologically sound. This announcement releases a lot of tension for the utility– the smart meter program had incurred customer protests, bureaucratic red tape, and [...]

One of the main arguments put forth by those opposed to the Ivanpah solar thermal project in California’s Mojave Desert is that the negative environmental impact of the plant would be too great. On August 3, a panel of the California Energy Commission (CEC) weighed in. The Ivanpah plant will use mirrors to reflect sunlight onto [...]

The largest rooftop solar project in the Pacific Northwest was completed today atop the roofs of seven separate ProLogis distribution facililties in Portland, Gresham and Clackamas, Oregon.

According to market Watch, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the project’s 25-year PPA with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) on June 3, and construction of the plant is slated to begin this calendar year. The agreement with PG&E was central to First Solar constructing the plant because the utility delivers electricity to much of California north of Los Angeles.

With six months to go, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) says the utilities will likely push their way up to 18 percent by the end of the calendar year.