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Biden Extols Federal Solar Policies At SPI

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden addressed the general session of the Solar Power International (SPI) conference in Anaheim, Calif., on Sept. 16. He brought a message of federal support for solar power to an enthusiastic crowd.

If his talking points about the importance of the solar sector to the U.S. essentially repeated those of the Solar Energy Industries Association, Biden did not seem uncomfortable. “I know you know all this, but the press is here,” he quipped at one point. The audience ate it up.

The vice president was more at home expressing his clearly deeply felt belief in the transformative power of solar energy. Brandishing a framed photo of a solar installation on the field house of his alma mater, the University of Delaware, Biden recalled how early efforts in developing practical solar technology have evolved into important factors in the nation’s future.

“More Americans are appreciating the importance of solar,” he said. “It’s happening exponentially across the country.”

Biden did not claim full credit for the expansion of solar power during the Obama administration. However, he did point with pride at its efforts to help the process along. Solar installations have increased about 50% per year since 2008, he said. The much maligned Recovery Act invested $90 billion in renewable energy technology and expanded tax credits for renewable energy projects. Biden said these efforts had a direct impact on the solar sector and supported the livelihoods of many of the people in the audience.

“In that terrible time after the recession when banks weren’t lending, our efforts ignited a whole new solar industry,” he said, adding that it is now competitive with fossil fuels. “The cost of solar power is at an all-time low.”

Biden said President Obama’s Climate Action Plan is taking aim at the single most egregious producer of carbon emissions in the U.S. - fossil-fueled power plants, particularly those that burn coal. Though the plan promises to have a transformative effect on renewable energy, it will also produce winners and losers in the economy. If the solar sector can count itself among the likely winners, it should spare a thought for coal miners and others that seem destined to lose out.

The government needs to lead on climate-change regulations in order to help move the world in the right direction on the issue.

“Our ability to lead the world depends not on examples of our power, but in the power of our example,” Biden said.

The role of government was front and center in the address. Biden announced $120 million in renewable energy funding - including competitive grants through the SunShot Initiative open to companies, universities and research laboratories - to focus on expanding solar power in the U.S. The goal is to reduce the cost of solar by 75% by 2020. He listed a number of other Department of Energy priorities to improve the energy transmission and distribution infrastructure to enable increased penetration of solar and wind power. Ultimately, Biden said, the purpose is to give Americans more energy choices.

“These are not government mandates,” he said. “It’s the market working.” - Michael Puttré

 

California Increases RPS To 50% By 2030

The California State Assembly has passed S.B.350, a mandate that pushes the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 50% by Dec. 31, 2030, from the current 33% by 2020.

California is currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for installed solar capacity, with more than 11 GW of solar energy installed.

Additionally, S.B.350 will also double the energy-efficiency savings in electricity and natural gas final end uses of retail customers through energy efficiency and conservation.

“The passage of S.B.350 is a huge win for Californians, and solar power is going to be key in making this win a reality,” says Sean Gallagher, the Solar Energy Industry Association’s (SEIA) vice president of state affairs. “The industry, in response to the state’s current RPS and other leading California policies like net metering, has produced nearly 55,000 solar jobs in California and more than $11 billion a year in state investment - all while achieving dramatic cost reductions. Solar is now among the most economic energy options. Through the wise passage of this ambitious legislation, we look forward to more jobs and consumer benefits.”

Although it is a significant milestone, notes SEIA, more renewable energy will be needed to meet the state’s broader goal of a 40% carbon emissions reduction by 2030.

“While today we’re celebrating S.B.350’s success, our work is far from over,” Gallagher notes. “Now, we must focus our efforts on the bill’s implementation and the essential need for a fair outcome in the upcoming net-metering decision at the Public Utilities Commission - which will determine the future of the rooftop solar market.”