Sepa Releases 'solar Electricity In The Utility Market' Report

摘要

Anew report from The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), titled "Utility Procurement Study: Solar Electricity in the Utility Market," is the first in a series of research reports to be released in 2009. Aimed at improving large-scale solar acquisition by electric utilities, the report provides innovative ideas for future project procurement.rnIn 2008, more than 5,000 MW of new photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power projects were announced, and with the 8-year extension of the federal investment tax credit (ITC), the market is expected to grow significantly. Along with the tax credit extension, the revised ITC allows electric utilities to use the credit for the first time by both owning and/or investing in solar projects, potentially creating a critical source of new projects and capital financing during the current economic downturn. The effect of the ITC extension, combined with the expansion of global solar manufacturing, rapidly declining costs and price curves, and federal and state environmental policies, lays a foundation for utility solar innovation at unparalleled scales. In addition, the potential effect of the new administration's stimulus package with an emphasis on renewable energy is anticipated to be dramatic.