Iowa Supreme Court Ruling to Boost Solar Power, Trade Group Says

An Iowa Supreme Court ruling may spur growth of solar energy in the state, according to an industry group.

The decision, “clears the air”, Ken Johnson a spokesman for the Washington-based Solar Energy Industries Association, said in an interview today. “It’s going to make Iowa a more viable market for solar investors.”

The state’s highest court ruled July 11 that Eagle Point Solar, a local developer, wasn’t acting as a utility when it offered to supply electricity to the city of Dubuque. That means the company’s contract to sell solar power from a rooftop power system doesn’t violate state rules that give utilities exclusive operating areas.