West Virginia University College of Law Professor James Van Nostrand spoke today, June 11, 2019, at the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation Annual Institute. The foundation is a nonprofit educational organization that focuses on laws and regulations related to natural resource development.
Professor Van Nostrand's talk was titled "Incorporating Solar Energy into the Appalachian Grid".
From the abstract:
As interest in solar energy continues to rise in the United States, states and utilities with significant solar generation are faced with difficult policy decisions on how to incorporate distributed solar energy into their existing electricity grids. Some utilities are experiencing declining sales, as customers are purchasing less energy due to distributed solar and the impact of energy efficiency programs. This problem is exacerbated by state “net metering” programs, which generally require utilities to pay the full retail rate for electricity generated by customers’ rooftop solar systems. Many states — particularly the high solar saturation states, such as in the southwestern U.S. — have revisited their net metering policies to reduce the rates that utilities must pay for distributed solar. As solar installations in Appalachia have increased in recent years, and with significant solar potential yet to be realized, states and utilities in our region are now facing similar challenges. This presentation will survey the Appalachian states to examine policies for incorporating solar into the grid, focusing primarily on the rate at which utilities are required to compensate customers for excess electricity generated by rooftop solar, as well as the availability of third-party PPAs and other policies that affect the incorporation of solar energy into the grid.