New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) has introduced a long-term plan that would base solar electric incentives on performance, location and project size. SEIA says this plan would help New York achieve its clean energy goals at the lowest cost to utility ratepayers.
NYSEIA is calling on Gov. David A. Paterson, the State Legislature and the Public Service Commission to immediately take needed actions to put the state on target to reach its goals of meeting 45% of the state's electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and clean renewable energy by the year 2015.
NYSEIA continues to endorse the solar PV roadmap developed by stakeholders in 2006, which called for 2000 MW of solar electric generation in the state over a 10-year period as a primary mover in meeting the state's goals.
New programs should complement existing programs funded through the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and should be performance based with a transition period away from up-front capacity-based incentives, and should be designed to continue past the scheduled expiration of the RPS, according to NYSEIA
In addition, municipalities and nonprofits should benefit from an incentive structure that places them on equal footing with the private sector, and utilities should be allowed to own solar renewable energy credits for the solar power they buy, NYSEIA adds.
The association supports creating five tiers of solar systems eligible for incentives that have specific goals or carve outs to ensure all classes of customers and generators can participate. Categories would include residential and small commercial systems under 80 kW, commercial systems 80 kW to 500 kW, commercial and developer-owned systems 500 kW to 2 MW, large developer-owned systems over 2 MW and utility-owned systems (or systems under a power purchase agreement) over 20 MW.
For further information on NYSEIA's solar plan, click here.
SOURCE: NYSEIA
