The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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The purpose of this report is to provide state lawmakers and regulators, electric utilities, the solar industry, and other stakeholders with timely, accurate, and unbiased updates on state actions to study, adopt, implement, amend, or discontinue policies associated with distributed solar photovoltaics (PV). This report catalogues proposed and enacted legislative, regulatory policy, and rate design changes affecting the value proposition of distributed solar PV during the most recent quarter, with an emphasis on the residential sector. The 50 States of Solar series provides regular quarterly updates of solar policy developments, keeping stakeholders informed and up to date.
In the first …
View Full ResourceThis document is a technical report based on a large-scale DOE-funded project conducted between 2019 and 2022. The project, called SOLAr Critical infrastructure Energization (SOLACE), is aimed at leveraging distributed energy resources (DERs) to provide local power to communities, feeders, or other regions. The project included a particular focus on high-value critical loads such as municipal water supply, telecommunication hubs, and disaster shelters. The key developments of the project were: (1) A comprehensive pre-event power system analysis methodology that identifies and characterizes the viable local power options. (2) A DMS-based example control system for activating and operating the local power …
View Full ResourceTribal land in the United States represents approximately 2% of the country’s total landmass and holds more than 5% of solar photovoltaic (PV) potential. This resource is largely untapped. Many Tribes are actively seeking to engage in solar development; a review of 35 Tribal strategic energy plans in 2019 revealed that 32 of 35 Tribes were exploring solar options for their communities. Many Tribes also cited regulatory hurdles to achieving these goals.
This project, Addressing Regulatory Challenges to Tribal Solar Deployment, seeks to unlock some of this potential by bringing Tribal, regulatory, utility, and other stakeholders together to articulate key …
View Full ResourceWe examine the impact of large-scale photovoltaic projects (LSPVPs) on residential home prices in six U.S. states that account for over 50% of the installed MW capacity of large-scale solar in the U.S. Our analysis of over 1,500 LSPVPs and over 1.8 million home transactions answers two questions: (1) what effect do LSPVPs have on home prices and (2) does the effect of LSPVP on home prices differ based on the prior land use on which LSPVPs are located, LSPVP size, or a home’s urbanicity? We find that homes within 0.5 mi of a LSPVP experience an average home price …
View Full ResourceUS Solar Market Insight® is a quarterly publication of Wood Mackenzie and the SEIA®. Each quarter, we collect granular data on the US solar market from nearly 200 utilities, state agencies, installers, and manufacturers. This data provides the backbone of this US Solar Market Insight® report, in which we identify and analyze trends in US solar demand, manufacturing and pricing by state and market segment over the next five to ten years. All forecasts are from Wood Mackenzie, Limited; SEIA does not predict future pricing, bid terms, costs, deployment or supply. The report includes all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and …
View Full ResourceEnergy storage systems (storage or ESS) are crucial to enabling the transition to a clean energy economy and a low-carbon grid. Storage is unique from other types of distributed energy resources (DERs) in several respects that present both challenges and opportunities in how storage systems are interconnected and operated. Although many jurisdictions are taking steps toward integrating storage, substantial technical and regulatory barriers remain to the rapid integration of ESS onto the grid, including and especially related to interconnection.
Well-designed interconnection rules that effectively address the unique operating capabilities and benefits of storage are essential to the rapid and cost-efficient …
View Full ResourceJapan faces a significant energy security risk as it imports nearly all of the fuel used in its power sector, with clean electricity accounting for only 24% of the total. This study shows that, due to the decreasing costs of solar, wind (especially offshore), and battery technology, Japan can achieve a 90% clean electricity share by 2035. This would also result in a 6% reduction in electricity costs, nearly eliminate dependence on imported LNG and coal, as well as dramatically reduce power sector emissions. Additionally, the study finds that Japan’s power grid will remain dependable without the need for new …
View Full ResourceInstalling solar energy can help reduce household energy costs, increase energy resilience, and stimulate local job growth. Community solar allows households unable to install solar directly on their property to access these benefits through a shared model. While community solar programs have expanded significantly, in recent years many continue to reach primarily wealthier customers. States play a crucial role in the development of community solar markets and, in this capacity, can help minimize the costs and ensure the benefits of solar extend more effectively to low- and moderate income (LMI) populations. Policies at the state level can require or incentivize …
View Full ResourceRussia’s invasion of Ukraine revealed the high cost of relying on fossil fuel imports—but renewables growth helped avoid a worse crisis. In the year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has faced enormous pressure to mitigate energy security risks and protect itself against the soaring costs of fossil fuel imports.
Gas prices skyrocketed to an unprecedented high of €313 / MWh as Russia cut pipeline exports to the EU. This caused the cost of producing power from gas to reach over €650 / MWh. With coal prices also surging, the increased cost of fossil fuels pushed up electricity prices …
View Full ResourceStakeholders in today’s solar industry have the privilege of participating in a world-changing shift toward renewable energy. And yet, as large-scale solar installations multiply, it is increasingly important that all of us ensure the industry is delivering on its promises — in terms of both power production and profitability. A glance at many of the statistics in this report shows, however, that we are progressively losing more power and more money, with an estimated annual revenue loss of $82 million across the 24.5GW analyzed by Raptor Maps in 2022, translating to $2.5 billion in losses for the entire solar industry. …
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