Solar Thermal Electric

U.S. Department of Energy - Loan Guarantee Program

Note: The Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376) made several changes to this program. It appropriated approximately $11.7 billion in total for the Loan Programs Office (LPO) to support issuing new loans. This, in turn, increased the loan authority in LPO’s existing loan programs by approximately $100 billion. The Inflation Reduction Act also adds a new loan program, the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program (section 1706), to help retool, repower, repurpose, or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or to improve the efficiency of infrastructure that is currently operating. 

Title 17 Program

Section 1703 of Title 17 of

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Net Metering

The South Carolina Public Service Commission issued two orders in May 2021 adopting new Solar Choice Tariffs for Duke Energy Progress, Duke Energy Carolinas, and Dominion Energy South Carolina. Customers who installed their systems on or after January 1, 2022 must take service under the Solar Choice Tariffs described below. Customer-generators who applied for net metering prior to January 1, 2022 may remain on a prior tariff for a period of time: December 31, 2025 for customers who applied for net metering before May 16, 2019, and May 31, 2029 for customer-generators who applied for net metering between May 16

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Interconnection Standards

The Public Regulation Commission (PRC) adopted revised standards and procedures for the interconnection of generating facilities in New Mexico in July 2008.

Rule 569 applies to all qualifying facilities (QFs) under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, which generally includes all renewable energy systems and combined heat and power (CHP) systems up to 80 megawatts (MW) in capacity.

Rule 568 applies to renewable energy systems and CHP systems up to 10 MW in capacity. The purpose of Rule 568 is to simplify the interconnection requirements for QFs up to 10 MW and to encourage the use of small-scale, customer-owned

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Property Tax Abatement for Solar Electric Systems

In August 2008, North Carolina enacted legislation that exempts 80% of the appraised value of a "solar energy electric system" (also known as a photovoltaic, or PV, system) from property tax. For the purposes of this assessment, the term "solar energy electric system" means "all equipment used directly and exclusively for the conversion of solar energy to electricity." This incentive is effective for taxable years beginning on or after July 1, 2008.

A Memorandum sent to County Commissioners in February 2011 clarified that residential PV systems that are not used to generate income or in connection with a business may

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Massachusetts Green Power Purchasing Commitment

Clean Energy Standard (CES) and CES-E: The CES sets a minimum percentage of electricity sales that retail electricity suppliers must procure from new clean energy sources beyond the RPS requirements. The CES began in 2018 at 16% and increases 2% annually to 80% in 2050. The CES-E applies to clean generating resources that pre-existed the RPS and is 20% for 2021.

Solar Carve-Out (SCO) & Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) As part of the RPS, the SCO program, initiated in 2010 and expanded in 2014, requires electricity suppliers to meet a portion of the RPS obligation through solar energy

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Property Tax Assessment for Renewable Energy Equipment

For the purpose of determining property tax, renewable energy and storage equipment owned by utilities and other entities operating in Arizona is assessed at 20% of the "taxable original cost" after deducting depreciation. "Renewable energy equipment" is defined as "electric generation facilities, electric transmission, electric distribution, gas distribution or combination gas and electric transmission and distribution and transmission and distribution cooperative property that is located in this state, that is used or useful for the generation, storage, transmission or distribution of electric power, energy or fuel derived from solar, wind or other nonpetroleum renewable sources not intended for self-consumption, including

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Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard

Background

In May 2008, Ohio enacted broad electric industry restructuring legislation (S.B. 221) containing an Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS), featuring advanced energy and renewable energy generation and procurement requirements for the state's electric distribution utilities and electric service companies (hereafter referred to as utilities). This definition encompasses all retail electricity providers except municipal utilities and electric cooperatives. The target was frozen in 2014 for two years, removing the previous 12.5% requirement for advanced energy resources as well. The standard target was reduced in 2019 by H.B. 6 to 8.5% by 2026.

By end of yearRenewable
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Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Equipment

In April 2008, the Maryland enacted legislation exempting geothermal and solar energy equipment from the state sales and use tax. Geothermal equipment is defined as "equipment that uses ground loop technology to heat and cool a structure". Solar energy equipment is defined as "equipment that uses solar energy to heat or cool a structure, generate electricity to be used in a structure, or provide hot water for use in a structure". Solar energy equipment does not include "equipment that is part of a non-solar energy system or that uses any type of recreational facility or equipment as a storage medium"

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City of Denver - Green Building Requirement for City-Owned Buildings

Executive Order 123, first signed in October 2007, established the Greenprint Denver Office and the sustainability policy for the city. In March 2013, Executive Order 123 was updated to create the Office of Sustainability—the successor to the Greenprint Denver Office—and establish key sustainability policies for the City and County of Denver.

The updated Executive Order 123 states that “all buildings constructed, renovated, or maintained with City funds or using City bonding capacity are to be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained according to the principles outlined in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, the

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Interconnection Standards

In August 2007, Illinois enacted legislation (S.B. 680) requiring the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to establish standards for net metering and interconnection for renewable energy systems by April 1, 2008. Although S.B. 680 only requires the promulgation of interconnection standards for "eligible renewable generating equipment," the ICC chose to take this opportunity to develop standards for all distributed generation up to 10 megawatts (MW). Final interconnection standards were adopted by the ICC in August 2008. In March 2010, the ICC established interconnection standards for Large Distributed Generation Facilities, or those over 10 MW. In December 2016, the ICC made

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