US PV MARKET DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST

摘要

For the past few years, the United States has been expected to evolve into the next, large market for Photovoltaic (PV) solar. Indifferent Federal policy was eclipsed by leadership at the State level until President Obama's progressive clean energy and climate policies reinvigorated investment in energy efficiency, technology, projects, and transmission infrastructure (the "Smart Grid") with a strong focus on renewable energy. Even under the US Federal 30% Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) umbrella, State and Local policy still determine if PV projects can generate a return on investment. California dominates the US PV Market driven by a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) quota system and backed by the $2.167 Billion California Solar Initiative (CSI). Southwestern states including Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico have excellent solar resource and with improving state policies will begin to emerge and harness their PV potential in 2010. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA 2008, Bailout Bill) eliminated the prohibition on utilities benefiting from the Federal Investment Tax Credit. Though enamored with CSP (Concentrating Solar Power) plants in the desert despite sitting, permitting, and water rights obstacles, southwestern Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) are changing US PV market dynamics by also investing in MegaWatt scale, distributed rooftop and ground mount PV projects. Federal, State, and Local policies and incentives for utility scale and commercial PV in the US Southwest will be surveyed and key PV project enablers and barriers will be identified. PV market prospects and proposed utility scale PV projects will be assessed. Driven by utility scale projects, the United States Photovoltaic Market is ready to grow up beyond 1 GW (GigaWatt) by 2011.