A recently released report issued by GTM Research — a Greentech Media Company widely recognized for its in-depth market analysis reports — outlines an unprecedented development taking shape within the solar thermal industy.

Two of the major reasons California has been a nationwide and worldwide leader in solar energy production are its initiatives aimed at alleviating some of the cost of installation, and programs aimed at bringing solar energy — and solar jobs — to communities that could otherwise not afford such systems.

In July 2009, New Jersey state regulators approved the Public Service Electric & Gas Company’s (PSE&G) Solar 4 All program — a $515 million plan for the utility to own and operate 80 megawatts (MW) of solar power by the end of 2013.

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.

Since 2004, few utility solar incentive programs have been as successful as the Salt River Project’s (SRP) EarthWise solar rebate.

According to a White Paper released today by Westinghouse Solar and the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) entitled “Reducing Home Energy Costs by Combining Solar and Energy Efficiency,” average U.S. homes can reduce their energy bills the most by generating their own power, even when compared to homes that implement several other energy efficiency measures but do not install an energy system.

The Arizona Public Service (APS), the largest utility company in the state, is testing a new piece of smart grid technology on two of its electricity distribution lines in Flagstaff, Arizona that could slash the time it takes to recognize and repair power outages.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) in southern California will begin a program in which the utility company will provide another 100 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity to its customers.

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has approved a new energy plan for PNM – the largest utility company in New Mexico, which serves nearly 500,000 customers statewide.

Now, pending approval from the attorney general and a final vote by the five-person ACC panel in the Fall, the state’s natural gas companies will be required to slash their fuel sales by six percent by that same 2020 deadline.