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SEIA Solar Blog

Through our blog, SEIA staff aim to informing policymakers, the media, and the American public about the benefits of solar energy for today’s economy. Scroll down for a running feed of our blog posts. For a complete archive of press releases, blogs and other news articles, click here

Thursday, Jan 16, 2014

National ‘Shout Out For Solar’ Day Enjoys Broad Support

On January 24, 1974 – with Richard Nixon in the White House, but knee deep in the Watergate scandal – five people met in the noisy basement of the Washington Hilton to discuss the possibility of establishing an association for the nascent solar energy industry.They agreed to create "a broad-based trade association supporting prompt, orderly, widespread and open growth of solar energy resources." This was the beginning of the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) four decades of successful advocacy.

Thursday, Jan 09, 2014

Big State Makes Big Commitment To Solar

As the third most populous state in the nation, New York has a huge upside when it comes to developing renewable energy sources – and that fact hasn’t been lost on Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On Wednesday, during his 2014 State of the State Address, the Governor confirmed that solar energy remains a priority for his administration.

Monday, Dec 16, 2013

Solar Tax Policies Having Big Impact, But Playing Field Not Level Yet

Today, I was asked to take part in an online discussion on Capitol Hill as to whether Congress should extend renewable energy tax credits? Well, in some ways, this discussion is putting the cart before the horse. Most importantly, are incentives for renewable energy sources achieving their goals? In the case of solar, the answer is a resounding yes.

Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013

U.S. Solar Industry Records Explosive Growth In Third Quarter

When it comes to renewable energy, you could call it the “shot heard round the world.” According to a new report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the U.S. installed 930 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaics (PV) in Q3 2013, up 20 percent over Q2 2013 and 35 percent over Q3 2012. This represents the second largest quarter in the history of the U.S. solar market and the largest quarter ever for residential PV installations.

Tuesday, Nov 26, 2013

Solar Is Valuable Resource In Climate Action Plan

As the UN Climate Conference ended with a whimper last week, the U.S. continues to move forward in its attempts to curtail climate change.

Monday, Nov 25, 2013

Solar Accounts For Nearly 75% Of All New Electric Capacity In U.S.

According to the FERC's “Energy Infrastructure Update” report, 99.3 percent of all new electric generation placed in service during the month of October came from renewables – with solar leading the way by a country mile!

Thursday, Nov 21, 2013

FERC Hands Down Key Decision; Solar Growth Explodes In October

Even though they were overshadowed by the Senate’s historic decision to eliminate the use of the filibuster when it comes to most Presidential nominees – the so-called “nuclear option” – there were some major developments this week at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that are critically important to solar and renewable energy.

Wednesday, Nov 13, 2013

Why DG World Needs The Grid More Than Ever

The rapid growth of rooftop solar has fueled an important debate about the future of our electric power system. And for good reason. Affordable, onsite solar power—aka distributed generation (DG)—offers electric customers something they’ve never had before: choice of where their power comes from and control over costs. The implications for the electric power system are profound and transformational as they point to a more decentralized future.

Monday, Nov 11, 2013

Net Metering Is Vital To American Consumers

Public Service, the state’s largest power utility, to reduce compensation for the energy Arizonians produce on their rooftops, and all eyes are on that sunny state. Distributed generation offers concrete benefits to all ratepayers. For the utilities, distributed generation reduces investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure – delaying or eliminating the need to build new, expensive and often polluting power plants.

Friday, Nov 08, 2013

Global Climate Talks Need Sense Of Urgency

Next week’s global climate talks in Warsaw, Poland, need to be guided by a new sense of urgency. After more than 20 years of talking about climate change, it’s time for the nations of the world to start putting a meaningful plan in place to fight it.

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