Industry petitions U.S. to ease grid limits

E&E News Daily

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is sending a petition today to federal regulators proposing a solution to a standard that has limited the amount of solar power that can be added to homes in booming regions like California, Hawaii and New Jersey. These states have seen solar panels, boosted by falling prices and generous subsidies, bloom on rooftops at a record pace. The surge has come so quickly, in fact, that sections of the grid have run into what’s known as the 15 percent rule, a standard that has effectively capped rooftop solar installations, frustrating consumers and retailers alike. SEIA’s petition, filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, would supplement the 15 percent rule with screens specific to solar power.