Solar and Storage Industry Files Comments Supporting the Trump Administration’s Efforts to Meet Rising Power Demand

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) filed comments today in two federal proceedings focused on meeting America’s surging electricity demand.

SEIA submitted comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in its rulemaking on interconnecting large loads, including data centers, and responded to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Request for Information on strategies to bring new power to market faster under its Speed to Power initiative.

Following is a statement from SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper:

“America’s solar and storage industry supports the Department of Energy’s (DOE) and the Trump administration’s focus on bringing new power online faster during this moment of sharply rising energy demand. Energy prices are increasing across the country, and the only durable way to put downward pressure on those costs is by adding more power to the system.

“Solar and storage are leading the response to this challenge, making up 82% of all new power added to the U.S. grid this year. As more data centers and advanced manufacturing come online and drive unprecedented load growth, we need modern policy solutions to speed the deployment of all energy technologies, including solar and storage, which can be built faster and more affordably than any other power source.

“As SEIA outlines in our response to DOE, building power quickly is only one piece of the puzzle. We also need a standardized process to connect these major loads to the transmission system. That is why SEIA is also filing comments today in FERC’s rulemaking on large-load interconnection.

“Taken together, DOE’s Speed to Power initiative and FERC’s large-load interconnection rule represent two elements of the same national priority: getting affordable, reliable power to the places that need it most. Smart, coordinated policies will allow us to meet this moment with more solar and storage generation, strengthen grid reliability, lower costs, and keep America competitive in a global economy.”

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About SEIA®:

The Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA) is leading the transformation to a clean energy economy. SEIA works with its 1,200 member companies and other strategic partners to fight for policies that create jobs in every community and shape fair market rules that promote competition and the growth of reliable, low-cost solar power. Founded in 1974, SEIA is the national trade association for the solar and solar + storage industries, building a comprehensive vision for the Solar+ Decade through research, education and advocacy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org and follow @SEIA on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.