Clean Energy Finance Forum

A Massachusetts Senate proposal to set aside funding for solar projects in low-income neighborhoods will do little to improve access without bigger changes to the state’s solar incentive program, advocates say.

Solar growth from the Virginia Clean Economy Act could create 29,500 direct solar jobs in Virginia, and tens of thousands of indirect jobs, according to a new study released today by a coalition of rooftop and shared solar companies and advocates.

Seven states – Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, South Carolina, and Vermont – have enacted legislation to promote pollinator-friendly solar development. A new white paper by the Clean Energy States Alliance provides an overview of these state efforts and offers suggestions for what other states can do to promote solar while also creating or preserving healthy habitats for pollinators.

With the opening of a solar facility in North Carolina built by solar developer SunEnergy1, the Cincinnati regional bank's pact to acquire its renewable energy credits is up and running. The solar facility is expected to generate clean power that is more than or equal to the amount Fifth Third uses in a year: 202,000 megawatt-hours – enough to power 25,000 homes.

With just a day left in the legislative session, the state Senate approved a solar energy bill that boosters said will keep South Carolina’s rooftop solar industry in business and help homeowners use panels to save money on power bills.